An Education (2009)

Director: Lone Scherfig

Cast: Carey Mulligan as Jenny, Olivia Williams as Miss Stubbs, Alfred Molina as Jack, Cara Seymour as Marjorie, William Melling as Small Boy #1, Connor Catchpole as Small Boy #2, Matthew Beard as Graham, Peter Sarsgaard as David, Amanda Fairbank-Hynes as Hattie, Ellie Kendrick as Tina, Dominic Cooper as Danny, Rosamund Pike as Helen, Nick Sampson as Auctioneer, Kate Duchêne as Latin Teacher (as Kate Duchene), Bel Parker as Small Girl

This is an altogether lovely film. It begins with nice title sequence
and then introduces Carey Mulligan who gives a remarkable performance.

Many have said Oscar worthy. I wouldn't say that. Her appearance is
mesmerizing and fresh, but I don't think it is an Oscar performance or
even an Oscar-worthily written role. Mullingan plays a 16 year old girl
who is very smart, literate, charming, but not experienced yet, and she
plays it with great self-confidence, which goes unrealistically with
her youth. And there isn't much else than confidence and serenity in
this performance. I wasn't convinced. I hope Carey Mulligan gets
nominated though.

The movie itself is okay, watchable but it didn't challenge me enough.
It lacks freshness. It's very Hornby-like. I know he only adapted a
memoir here. But the material is similarly uninspiring to his however
lovely books and movies based on them. What's the message here? That
appearance can be deceiving and that education is a good choice. Well,
yes. So I would say a decent juvenile film with good performances from
just everybody.