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An Education

Visit An Education's movie website by Sony Classic Pictures.

Read more about the film, the cast, the story and the the music. (PS. It's amazing)!

5 stars

An education is a beautifully filmed coming of age story, set outside London in the early sixties. Jenny, played by Carey Mulligan is a sixteen year old student and one of her school's best and brightest, where she works hard in preparation for acceptance at Oxford. She also speaks French, plays the cello and embodies the dreams of her hard working parents, played by Alfred Molena and Cara Seymour. And along with those dreams are the pressures that come with it: for her to be well educated and ultimately succeed. One rainy day, Jenny meets the much older David (Peter Sarsgaard), driving his posh sports car when he charmingly offers to transport her cello. Of course this is the "meet cute" scene, where Jenny first becomes exposed to a far different and more glamorous lifestyle. (And subtly, the colors of the drab London weather and school uniforms tranform to rich, luxuriant colors in the ensuing scenes, representing a whole new world that is very attractive and filled with new choices).

An Education

Peter Sarsgaard is terrifically cast as the older, playboy gentleman, who is slyly manipulative and seducing to not only Jenny but her parents as well. He has the stodgy old father (Molina) wrapped around his fingers and the mother nearly swooning like a schoolgirl as well, when he abruptly comes into their lives to court Jenny. Danny (Dominic Cooper) plays David's dubious but equally suave business partner, and his girlfriend Helen is played by Rosamund Pike, in a fabulous turn as the glamorous and slightly airheaded, beautiful woman.

An Education

One might wonder how many ways there are of telling yet another tale about the loss of innocense and the painful realities of the adult world. But the direction by Lone Scherfig is superb in this beautiful portrait of An Education, based on the memoirs of Lynn Barber and the screenplay written by Nick Hornsby. It is a story easily identifiable by any child, (boy or girl), and certainly by any parent. The casting is very solid throughout, with mentionable supporting roles from Emma Thompson as the Headmistress and Olivia Williams as Miss Stubbs, Jenny's teacher who truly believes in her and cares about her future.

An Education

I really cannot find a serious misstep in this simple story about a young woman at the crossroads of her life, in London, at a time when the post-war world is crashing down and a newer, exciting and hipper culture is contending to take its place. But make no mistake, the real star is Carey Mulligan, whose performance is understated, touching and always true. It is deeply moving and sad for a child to be dissapointed in her parents and authority figures at a time when she needs them most. It is something altogether more profound when that child has the intellect and maturity to find some of the blame within. At once the actress seems to capture the simple beauty of Katie Holmes (circa Dawson's Creek), and the refined elegance of an Audrey Hepburn, when her hair goes up and Channel dresses replace the student uniforms and she awakens into the young woman in waiting. An Education is rich and classy, as is the fabulous, breakout performance from Mulligan.

MPAA Rating: PG-13

4 stars

Michael Sheen stars as Brian Clough, the celebrated English footballer and manager who took over Leeds United in 1974. When the very successful Don Revie (Colm Meanie) stepped down from Leeds to take over the national team, Clough took his place, which was an unusual choice from the start. Even though Clough had been successful in his own right, he was a bitter rival with Revie and very outspoken and critical of Leeds United, referring to their play as illegal and criminal. Why he then chose to manage this team is one of the many questions and complexities of his character.

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Clough was a passionate, outspoken and controversial figure. He was also smart, shrewd and very funny. And he had a drinking problem. As passionate as England is for its sport and its football, Clough was both admired and hated for his antics which led to his ultimate downfall. For as much as he loved the sport, it was all very personal and he placed his ego ahead of the interests for the team and the community.

The period is the mid seventies in gritty, working class cities that worshipped their football clubs. The direction and cinematography captures the feel of this era very well, and the editing paces the scenes effectively, as it goes back and forth in time between 1968 to 1974. The players are a tough lot, often playing in the rain and covered in mud. It was the bond they shared with Revie that Clough could never obtain. The style of the Leeds play had been as brutal as it was effective, which was a chief criticism of Clough's, one in which he sought to change.

Mainly, this is a film about a complicated man - his charm and his flaws - and Michael Sheen seems to excel at such biopic roles. He is simply astounding in this movie and almost unrecognizable as the same actor who portrayed Tony Blair in The Queen and David Frost in Frost/Nixon. Sheen is a versatile and gifted performer and makes this film well worth seeing.

MPAA Rating: R

3 stars

Lars Von Trier (Denmark) is an artist to be sure, blending politics and sociology. His films are poignant and controversial. The themes of his films largely deal with women who have been wronged and victimized by society. They are compelling, artistic and moving. But Antichrist is something altogether different.

Antichrist

Willem Defoe (Him) and Charlotte Gainsbourg (her) are a married couple mourning the death of their son. He is a therapist and has been distant to her and the child for most of the marriage. They are very dysfunctional to say the least. She is in deep mourning about her child's death, and he, as a therapist, takes sympathy for the first time. But he is manipulative and arrogant. It is an act of control.

She has extreme trauma and a bit of psychosis. To esape her nightmares, she engages in extreme sex with him. The scenes are very perverse and violent.In a bizzare turn of events, he wants to heal her altogether by killing her at the end of the movie. But she turns the tables and tortures him to a grisly and pornograhic end.It is nothing I have ever withnessed on film. 

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I would have to say the Von Triers is over the top with this movie. The beautiful cinematograpy, mixed with the dysfunction is compelling as always, and I suspect there is a statement in here somewhere on the nature of love (sex) and violence, but overall the film is a portrait of evil. This is not for everyone.

MPAA: No Rating.

3.5 stars

Hilary Swank stars in the title role as Amelia Earhart, the American female poineer in aviation whose life was as interesting as her mysterious disappearance when her plane went down in the South Pacific. Swank portrays her as a charming tomboy from Kansas, a pre-feminist, who was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic (five years after Charles Lindberg). The film, directed by Mira Nair, also explores her relationship and marriage to George Putnam, played by Richard Gere, as well her her involvement with another reknowned businesmann Gene Vidal, played by Ewan McGregor. Vidal's son Gore is also featured in the film; he would grow up to become the celebrated author and playwright.

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Earhart often dressed in trousers and ties, like one of the boys, and tells the enamored Putman that "she's not the marrying kind." Her dress and short cropped hair is reminiscent of another woman ahead of her time, Coco Chanel, whose life is depicted in film now playing, Coco Before Chanel. (Both women live in the same era and the similaries between both movies are fascinating). Due to her interest in flying (and freedom), as well as her relationships with several men, Earhart is a clearly woman ahead of her times, without boundaries. The story makes reference to her father who was an alcoholic, which undoubtedly had an impact on her adult life and attitudes towards normal conventions. The film also touches on Amelia's need to make public appearances, sell books and endorse products (marketing) in order to make money for financing her pursuits and flying excursions. This is an interesting new concept for the 1930's, which we don't normally think about and one that Amelia detested. But the flights - across the Atlantic and later across the globe - were for her alone, something she needed to do for herself.

Amelia

The production values for Amelia are quite good. The pace moves quickly from scene to scene; there are no slow sequences. The cinematography is beautiful in its shots of fashion and set design, as well as the landscapes. Most historical films have a slightly grainy quality in order to match the quality of the camera production for the times. But this movie is shot with a crystal clear lens and is quite stunning. Richard Gere is very sympathetic and supportive in the role as George Putnam, and Hilary Swank is perfectly cast as the historical heroine that captured the hearts and imagination above people all over the world.

MPAA Rating: PG-13