I think that a major contributor to this film's edge as opposed to many other more rigid and less passionate films is its director. I have written extensively about directors changing their styles or taking their films in a more mature direction in previous reviews, but in this case, it's a full 180. Lone Scherfig started her directing career along with her fellow Danish colleagues in the Dogme 95 movement that so defined Danish cinema of the past decade-and-a-half, and here she gives us An Education, which is not only her English language debut but also a film so calculated and technically precise that it is practically the exact opposite of the loose, gritty, un-planned and chaotic nature of Dogme 95. I don't like to judge the actual change in direction because I'm sure that out there someone thinks that Scherfig "sold out" and that her Dogme 95 work was far more interesting and unique, but if anything, and as I have already indicated in the past with directors such as Paul Thomas Anderson and David Fincher, I think it's impressive just to see that a director is capable of making such a drastic change in their style while still retaining their uniqueness and voice.
As a period film, this is without a doubt one of the best I've seen in recent years. It takes place in London of the early 1960's, and its attention to period detail is second to none. As with the best of its kind, the film absolutely excels in the fields of production design, set construction and costume design, and this film struck me as particularly accurate in getting all the nuances right, not only in the set dressing and props but also in the mannerisms, speech patterns and behavior of the characters in general – obviously I don't know for a fact that it is completely accurate as I didn't live in 1960's London, but the film does carry an air of authenticity that really lends it that extra edge. The movie is also gorgeously shot, with luscious and fluid cinematography by John de Borman, and features a sweeping musical score by Paul Englishby that befits it perfectly and is so good that I would gladly listen to it on its own.
But in a film like this, as it has always been from Gone with the Wind to Sense and Sensibility to Pride and Prejudice, the period setting, production design, costumes and cinematography are nothing without convincing performance, and in that field, this film once again really excels. The cast is headed by newcomer Carey Mulligan, and she is truly a revelation. For such a young actress, she manages not only to carry an entire movie on her shoulders in the starring role, but also manages to create a unique and compelling character. Jenny does not merely drive the plot; she has her unique quirks, her speech patterns; she speaks fast and cynically, and often injects French words she is studying at school into her sentences. These are the little details that really make a convincing, three-dimensional character, and although only 24, Mulligan totally nails it. Co-starring with her is Peter Sarsgaard, who delivers a far more subtle but still effective performance as the thirysomething playboy who sweeps her off her feet. Sarsgaard is an actor whom for years I have described as "underrated", and from Shattered Glass to Garden State to Kinsey to Jarhead, he has delivered an eclectic series of successful and under appreciated supporting performances. For someone unfamiliar with him, it would be impossible to notice that he's actually American, and I think that an American actor who is capable of convincingly playing a Brit is one of the most impressive and difficult acting achievements.
The period film has been a long-standing genre practically for as long as there has been narrative cinema, and throughout them, many directors, from Cecil B. DeMille to William Wyler to James Ivory have defined the genre and crafted seminal works that feature the absolute cream-of-the-crop of production values, costume design, cinematography and musical composition. But recently, a new generation of period film directors, including Saul Dibb, Jean-Marc Vallee, Tom Hooper and Edgar Wright has invigorated the genre by crafting period films with a newfound vitality and a certain edge to them that totally obliterates the rigidity and restraint so commonly identified with the genre.
As a period film, this is without a doubt one of the best I've seen in recent years. It takes place in London of the early 1960's, and its attention to period detail is second to none. As with the best of its kind, the film absolutely excels in the fields of production design, set construction and costume design, and this film struck me as particularly accurate in getting all the nuances right, not only in the set dressing and props but also in the mannerisms, speech patterns and behavior of the characters in general – obviously I don't know for a fact that it is completely accurate as I didn't live in 1960's London, but the film does carry an air of authenticity that really lends it that extra edge. The movie is also gorgeously shot, with luscious and fluid cinematography by John de Borman, and features a sweeping musical score by Paul Englishby that befits it perfectly and is so good that I would gladly listen to it on its own.
But in a film like this, as it has always been from Gone with the Wind to Sense and Sensibility to Pride and Prejudice, the period setting, production design, costumes and cinematography are nothing without convincing performance, and in that field, this film once again really excels. The cast is headed by newcomer Carey Mulligan, and she is truly a revelation. For such a young actress, she manages not only to carry an entire movie on her shoulders in the starring role, but also manages to create a unique and compelling character. Jenny does not merely drive the plot; she has her unique quirks, her speech patterns; she speaks fast and cynically, and often injects French words she is studying at school into her sentences. These are the little details that really make a convincing, three-dimensional character, and although only 24, Mulligan totally nails it. Co-starring with her is Peter Sarsgaard, who delivers a far more subtle but still effective performance as the thirysomething playboy who sweeps her off her feet. Sarsgaard is an actor whom for years I have described as "underrated", and from Shattered Glass to Garden State to Kinsey to Jarhead, he has delivered an eclectic series of successful and under appreciated supporting performances. For someone unfamiliar with him, it would be impossible to notice that he's actually American, and I think that an American actor who is capable of convincingly playing a Brit is one of the most impressive and difficult acting achievements.
The period film has been a long-standing genre practically for as long as there has been narrative cinema, and throughout them, many directors, from Cecil B. DeMille to William Wyler to James Ivory have defined the genre and crafted seminal works that feature the absolute cream-of-the-crop of production values, costume design, cinematography and musical composition. But recently, a new generation of period film directors, including Saul Dibb, Jean-Marc Vallee, Tom Hooper and Edgar Wright has invigorated the genre by crafting period films with a newfound vitality and a certain edge to them that totally obliterates the rigidity and restraint so commonly identified with the genre.