Duty and desire face off in "An Education," the wonderfully stylish and seductive film by director Lone Scherfig. The story follows bright 16-year-old student Jenny (Carey Mulligan) as her Oxford-bound plans are disrupted by a charming older man (Peter Sarsgaard) who dazzles her with Opera outings and trips to Paris. So much for the whole "statutory rape is wrong" thing.
"An Education" is set in 1961 Britain, a few years before the Beatles shook things up with their rock 'n' roll earthquake, but it's equally relevant today. The themes are universal -- people trying to find their life's purpose, parents slowly losing sight of what their kids are doing -- and they come together gracefully on screen. The plot is far from unfamiliar, but Scherfig's chic direction ("Wilbur Wants To Kill Himself") and Hornby's breezy script (author of "High Fidelity," "About A Boy"), adapted from Lynn Barber's memoir, make it feel like a tantalizing new cuisine rather than yesterday's leftovers.
When Jenny first meets 30-something David outside of her school, he offers her cello a ride home in his fancy car (she's welcome to come too, of course). It's not long before she learns that he "studied at the university of life," enjoys all things hoity-toity with his close friends (Dominic Cooper and Rosamund Pike) and is one heck of a liar. There is just something about him that makes everyone fall like a house of cards in his wake; even Jenny's super-conservative father (Alfred Molina) believes he has noble intentions and supports their weekend getaway plans. Don't bother: Common sense doesn't stand a chance against David's wiles.
It isn't easy to watch Jenny succumb to the draw of the "good life," even though everyone makes that mistake at some point or another. Mulligan ("Pride and Prejudice") plays the character with a convincing air of affability and frustration. It's a "here-I-am!" kind of performance, as she transforms from young girl to woman to somewhere in between. It's also a different type of role for Sarsgaard, who has never been this beguiling and repugnant all at once.
Moral bankruptcy aside, "An Education" manages to be entertaining and a frequent ode to culture and music (Hornby would have it no other way). There's a flirtatious scene in an auction house where David stands behind Jenny and coaxes her into bidding as she beams with delight -- it's a moment that could have easily appeared in a Godard movie. "An Education" is beautifully shot and acted, full of elegance and playfulness, making it one of the year's best so far.
