An Education (2009)

dir. Lone Scherfig
writ. Nick Hornby (screenplay), Lynn Barber (memoir)
feat. Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Cara Seymour, Emma Thompson, Olivia Williams, Rosamund Pike, Dominic Cooper

The experience of watching An Education closely parallels the relationship between David (Sarsgaard) and Jenny's parents (Molina and Seymour) in the film, a winsome sleight of hand distracting from important questions with the swaying charm of elegant handling. Already drawing Jenny's eye, David works his way into her life as a kind of mentor in the parents eyes, a reasonable point of entry. As the relationship grows more intimate, something that would be more obvious at home as well, the story veers from such considerations, sticking to topics of economics and success, steering clear of quiet moments where Mom and Dad might sit and consider if their teenage daughter is having sex with a man in his 30s.

And the suave, earnest David sells it, both to the parents and to the viewer. His passive approach to seduction is inviting without being (too) creepy, in no small part because Jenny is so well-educated, an equal among her new companions, and eagerly cosmopolitan, sucking down all the culture and parties that David dishes out (excellent makeup and hair aside, it also helps that Mulligan was hitting her mid-20s as opposed to Jenny's 16). In one of the best scenes in the film, David even sells Jenny on his criminal lifestyle, casually explaining that he's made certain choices in order to live better, a moment that sidesteps the typical histrionic recriminations and apologies of such confrontations.

It's only when David leaves the picture that the glamour fades, not just for Jenny and family, but for the audience as well. The film is reduced to a morality tale of the value of hard work and earning it for oneself, minor characters are given meager life, and we're begged to feel for a girl who might (banish the thought) not be welcomed into one of the greatest universities in the world. It's hard to buy the "close call" spin of this final act, and it doesn't appear as though the filmmakers feel it either, letting loose a rapid fire, going-through-the-motions series of scenes complete with a studious montage and an abrupt, closing voiceover meant to wrap things up tidily.

While I understand the decision to cut a final appearance by David (see Deleted Scenes for those catching it on video), this omission leaves a gaping hole, a lack of deeper resolution. While Jenny is the main character, David gives the story its life. And while she may survive and prosper without him, the story doesn't have the same fortitude. That being said, I came away a fan of the film despite these substantial shortcomings. Perhaps, the greatest lesson doled out by An Education is how to slyly win over viewers without fulfilling them.