“An Education”

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard

Directed by Lone… “An Education”

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard

Directed by Lone Scherfig

Studio: BBC Films

Grade: A-

“An Education” is an interesting twist on a traditional coming-of-age story that is armed with compelling characters.

The film, based on the memoir of Lynn Barber, tackles heavy issues like feminism, the value of education and the best way to live life.

The lead character, Jenny, is a 16-year-old English schoolgirl in the early ’60s on track to study at Oxford.

When David, an older man with a lot to offer, comes into her life, she has to decide between adulthood and childhood as well as whether to be a student or a socialite.

There is no clear suggestion as to which life Jenny should choose until she makes the actual decision — not even for the audience, which is a rarity in theaters these days with the prevalence of omniscient viewers.

The conflict keeps the audience engaged in the film and allows them to stress, rejoice and worry along with Jenny about the decisions she’s making.

The strong characters and excellent performances by Carey Mulligan as Jenny, Peter Sarsgaard as David and Olivia Williams as Jenny’s teacher, Ms. Stubbs, make the film wonderfully engaging.

Most of the characters are both believable and likable, adding to the emotional involvement viewers can’t help but feel when confronted with Jenny’s dilemmas.

Jenny is smart (or “clever,” as the Brits would say), fun and lively, and David is smooth and seemingly sweet, even with his sketchy jobs and subtle secrets.

Jenny’s teacher and principal are perfectly strong, rigid and traditional characters to serve as a parallel to the fabulous life of cigarettes, jazz music and adventures that David offers.

The only characters who are difficult to like, however, are Jenny’s parents. Their own infatuation and lack of inhibition toward David make them silly and obsolete in Jenny’s life.

Though their irresponsibility makes them less appealing, their faults further drive the plot and push Jenny more into the adult world.

Tthe characters and plot are strong, but the movie rushes through the ending much faster than necessary.

At 95 minutes long, the movie could have easily been half an hour longer with a more elaborate and fulfilling ending without losing the attention of the audience.

Overall, it’s a compelling and engaging film that offers an education of a different kind for both audience and characters.