Carey Mulligan was Oscar-nominated for her role (and lost to Sandra Bullock, of all people), and she's quite brilliant here, not to mention thoroughly charming. In 1960s suburban London, Jenny (Mulligan) is a grade-A student "far beyond her years," who loves French culture and cultivates a keen interest in the arts. Her parents (Alfred Molina and Cara Seymour) are kind-hearted, but keep her on a tether, in the hopes that she will be admitted into Oxford the following year. Into Jenny's life comes David (Peter Sarsgaard), a charismatic and wealthy middle- aged man who nurtures Jenny's interests, giving her a taste of adult life – the good and the bad. The acting is superb across the board. Mulligan, especially, treads a very fine line; she has to project maturity, but also the wide-eyed wonder of a girl stepping out into the world for the first time. The film also stars Emma Thompson, Dominic Cooper, and Rosamund Pike (who played Mulligan's on screen sister in 'Pride and Prejudice (2005)'). This is a fantastic film, brilliantly evoking time and place, and capturing with sensitivity the melancholia of growing up. Not to mention, I was enraptured by the leading lady for 100 minutes.