An Education

1961, and London is poised between post-war austerity and the swinging which has yet to start. Lower-middle-class Twickenham is a dull place, and particularly so to 16-year-old Jenny (Carey Mulligan), swotting to pass her Oxbridge exam whilst dreaming of art, culture and all things sophisticated and French. These come her way sooner than expected, when she meets David (Peter Sarsgaard), a suave older man who manages not only to charm Jenny, but also to win over her father (Alfred Molina, wonderful), whose strictly protective attitude is matched only by the dimness of his view of anything unfamiliar. Soon she's enjoying a world of smoky bars and supper clubs, concerts and weekends away with David and his glamorous friends, and enjoying too the envy of her classmates. It's left to her formidable Headmistress (Emma Thompson) and her English teacher (Olivia Williams) to sound the notes of caution, but by then it's too late to prevent her from being seduced by the idea of a grown-up life. Adapted from the memoir by journalist Lynn Barber, Nick Hornby's script is lively and witty, Lone Scherfig's direction is assured, and the recreation of the London of the period utterly convincing. Best of all though are the performances, strong across the board but nowhere better than in Carey Mulligan's breakthrough portrayal of Jenny, fully capturing the combination of naïvete and aspiration that make her a natural for David's advances.

Sandra Hebron