'An Education' is a film rife with one implausible character after another. For starters, when we're introduced to the protagonist, high school student Jenny, she seems way too sophisticated for a 16 year old. The main problem is that Carey Mulligan, who plays Jenny, is 24 years old in real life. Why didn't they cast a teenager?
Then there's the problem of the girl's father, Jack. At first he appears extremely petulant, a caricature of the pushy parent who wants their child to succeed at any cost. With his insistence that Jenny study night and day in order to get into Oxford, we're first led to believe that he's the film's antagonist. But soon when con-artist David appears on the scene, Jack is suddenly reduced to unprincipled buffoon. I say buffoon because he's so easily taken in by David's scheme—that David is actually an Oxford alumnus and knows famous Oxford professor/author C.S Lewis. If this was a real character, wouldn't have Jack made a few simple inquiries to determine whether David was telling the truth or not?
In very simplistic fashion, the implication here is Jenny's sudden embrace of a life of crime is due to Jack's lack of principles. David basically buys Jack's acquiescence in allowing Jenny's trips away from home and ultimately accepting the idea of Jenny and David tying the knot. Somehow all this so easily rubs off on impressionable Jenny. The gutless father figure is nothing new—just think of Jim Backus strutting around in an apron in 'Rebel without a cause'.
Perhaps the moment I found to be the most incredulous was Jenny's sudden transformation from earnest student to unsavory bad girl. Even with the father acting the way he did, would she have so suddenly embraced David once she discovers that he's a con artist? I would think that a normal teenager would have been very alarmed that she was now in the company of a bunch of criminals and fear would have entered into the equation. But what was Jenny's reaction? A mild protest and then David sweeps her off her feet.
David was disappointing in that he was such a tame sociopath. What are his crimes? Well, he steals an antique map from a house that's up for sale and arranges for minorities to move into apartment buildings, scaring elderly tenants, and then buying the apartments from them when they decide to leave, at cut-rate prices. Oh yes, he also cheats on his wife. Equally disappointing is the couple he hangs out with—except for one scene where there is a confrontation with Jenny, they really have little to do.
Every melodrama needs a villain and that is of course the headmistress of the school Jenny attends. After she finds out David is Jewish, she blurts out that the Jews "killed our Lord". Not only is she depicted as a vile anti-Semite but she cruelly rejects Jenny's request to be reinstated. Only Jenny's kindly teacher is willing to give her encouragement.
If you think about it, everyone seems to get a 'pass' in this movie except for the headmistress. Even David, despite his philandering ways, is not such a bad guy and is not truly held accountable for his amorality precisely because he is such a charming character (the film's scenarists imply that he too is a 'victim' of his environment).
There is nothing subtle about 'An Education'. It's an old-fashioned morality play where the good guys (educated professionals) triumph over shiftless petty criminals who hang out at such unsavory venues as dog tracks and seedy nightclubs. Everything is tied up in a nice ribbon at the end when both Jenny and her father repent and Jenny is miraculously accepted into Oxford.
'An Education' is a tawdry little tale that has already garnered a good share of undeserved accolades. It does boast a nice recreation of early 60s London along with a brooding score but in terms of psychological insight and depth of character, it totally lacks any kind of aesthetic credibility.
Then there's the problem of the girl's father, Jack. At first he appears extremely petulant, a caricature of the pushy parent who wants their child to succeed at any cost. With his insistence that Jenny study night and day in order to get into Oxford, we're first led to believe that he's the film's antagonist. But soon when con-artist David appears on the scene, Jack is suddenly reduced to unprincipled buffoon. I say buffoon because he's so easily taken in by David's scheme—that David is actually an Oxford alumnus and knows famous Oxford professor/author C.S Lewis. If this was a real character, wouldn't have Jack made a few simple inquiries to determine whether David was telling the truth or not?
In very simplistic fashion, the implication here is Jenny's sudden embrace of a life of crime is due to Jack's lack of principles. David basically buys Jack's acquiescence in allowing Jenny's trips away from home and ultimately accepting the idea of Jenny and David tying the knot. Somehow all this so easily rubs off on impressionable Jenny. The gutless father figure is nothing new—just think of Jim Backus strutting around in an apron in 'Rebel without a cause'.
Perhaps the moment I found to be the most incredulous was Jenny's sudden transformation from earnest student to unsavory bad girl. Even with the father acting the way he did, would she have so suddenly embraced David once she discovers that he's a con artist? I would think that a normal teenager would have been very alarmed that she was now in the company of a bunch of criminals and fear would have entered into the equation. But what was Jenny's reaction? A mild protest and then David sweeps her off her feet.
David was disappointing in that he was such a tame sociopath. What are his crimes? Well, he steals an antique map from a house that's up for sale and arranges for minorities to move into apartment buildings, scaring elderly tenants, and then buying the apartments from them when they decide to leave, at cut-rate prices. Oh yes, he also cheats on his wife. Equally disappointing is the couple he hangs out with—except for one scene where there is a confrontation with Jenny, they really have little to do.
Every melodrama needs a villain and that is of course the headmistress of the school Jenny attends. After she finds out David is Jewish, she blurts out that the Jews "killed our Lord". Not only is she depicted as a vile anti-Semite but she cruelly rejects Jenny's request to be reinstated. Only Jenny's kindly teacher is willing to give her encouragement.
If you think about it, everyone seems to get a 'pass' in this movie except for the headmistress. Even David, despite his philandering ways, is not such a bad guy and is not truly held accountable for his amorality precisely because he is such a charming character (the film's scenarists imply that he too is a 'victim' of his environment).
There is nothing subtle about 'An Education'. It's an old-fashioned morality play where the good guys (educated professionals) triumph over shiftless petty criminals who hang out at such unsavory venues as dog tracks and seedy nightclubs. Everything is tied up in a nice ribbon at the end when both Jenny and her father repent and Jenny is miraculously accepted into Oxford.
'An Education' is a tawdry little tale that has already garnered a good share of undeserved accolades. It does boast a nice recreation of early 60s London along with a brooding score but in terms of psychological insight and depth of character, it totally lacks any kind of aesthetic credibility.