An Education
Adapted by writer Nick Hornby from a memoir by Lynn Barber, An Education is already generating award hype for Carey Mulligan's lead performance as Jenny, a teen coming of age in early-'60s London. The young actress is a sensation of subtle expressions and flawless timing. You can see Jenny's growth as a character on Mulligan's energetic face as she goes from the promising but innocent pre-Oxford schoolgirl to the woman forcibly matured beyond her years. The film, on the other hand, is a typical, moderately pleasurable coming-of-age story in which Jenny is whisked away by a charming and naughty gentleman (Peter Sarsgaard) to clubs, concerts and eventually Paris.



