Carey Mulligan is receiving deserved universal admiration for her tremendous performance in "An Education," but the film would lack the same resonance it possesses if Peter Sarsgaard failed to match her any step of the way. A film that is purely character-driven is paralyzed by its reliance on the accuracy of the dialogue and the ability of the actors to express unending depth within their intricate characters. The actors in "An Education" are equal to the task, but the wonderful performances by Mulligan and Sarsgaard are the main forces driving the story to its inevitable, if unforeseen, conclusion.
Mulligan plays Jenny, a 16-year-old schoolgirl whose fears that her life will be a predictable bore are continuously reinforced by her parents, Jack (Alfred Molina) and Marjorie (Cara Seymour). They are incessantly grilling Jenny about her schoolwork with hopes for the future without ever taking the time to inquire about what would bring her genuine happiness. Jenny is on a clear path to study at Oxford, and the world will keep spinning.
Everything changes when Jenny meets David (Peter Sarsgaard), a suave, sophisticated, and charismatic 35-year-old man who drives a nice car and talks a great game. Through their relationship, Jenny is introduced to a world of beautiful art and expensive hotels that seduce her into believing that she is prepared for adulthood without ever having to experience the entirety of adolescence. Eventually, she learns that this grave misunderstanding of her emotional intelligence is simply an unfortunate and unavoidable indication that she is growing up.
The scenes between Jenny and David are electric, not necessarily sexually, but through shared chemistry and uncertainty among two people who are connected if for no other reason than it is more exciting than being alone. Carey Mulligan is innocent and mature, na've and wise, often in the same scene. Her luminous and enchanting presence is commanding with eyes that sharply pierce through the screen as sharp knives whose edges cut deeply to the essence of Jenny.
Although Jenny tends to earn our sympathies because of her youth and inexperience with such a master manipulator, she often lies to her parents in order to hide the true nature of the relationship. Mulligan easily expresses intricate emotional transitions within scenes whose difficulties are difficult to comprehend and almost impossible to describe.
Peter Sarsgaard has a smile, a look that can be interpreted as anything from conniving to kind. There is a revelation at the conclusion that comes as a complete surprise because of his reluctance to part with any additional information through his reactions. Sarsgaard expertly crafts the character in a way that delays the disclosure of his intentions until the last possible moment.
Sarsgaard's subtlety is essential in deceiving Jenny, her parents, and the audience into only observing the best parts of him through an insidious charm. By overdramatizing any situation, he would set off alarm bells that could not be undone about the possibilities of danger that could derive from a relationship with him. Sarsgaard has been largely overlooked by the Oscar prognosticators because there is no yelling and screaming; just close, careful meditation on the benefits and implications of his next move. He is a fantastic actor who has created memorable characters in many films, including "Boys Don't Cry", "Kinsey", and "Jarhead", that become an integral part of the atmosphere while eloquently blending into the flow of the narrative.
The film is truly an emotional, spiritual, and intellectual education for Jenny. "An Education" is not about whether Jenny becomes brighter through her schooling knowledge, but rather an exploration on whether she becomes smarter about life through the harsh consequences of these actions. The conclusion of "An Education" unnecessarily takes the time to encourage a certain path for Jenny to follow, even though the film is actually about what she has learned, instead of where she is going.
The screenwriter, Nick Hornby, is a talented scribe who tends to focus on relationships between people who are learning more about themselves than the people they become involved with. Although his other films, such as "About a Boy", "Fever Pitch", and "High Fidelity", are about people of varying ages, they are all coming-of-age stories of grown individuals who have not emotionally developed past their adolescence.
The relationship between Jenny and David is an unstable one built on misunderstandings, lies, and half-truths. It is obvious that the building blocks will eventually fall precipitously and heartlessly on Jenny. The hope is that they will tumble softly enough as to not crush the engaging spirit that makes her so pleasant to be around.
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