+ Best English Movie of the Year + Best Period Movie of the Year + Best Shooting Star Actress of the Year (Carey Mulligan)
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| Peter Sarsgard and Carey Mulligan - in a dreamy dress - look delicate on one of the year's best posters, for Lone Scherfig's An Education |
In 1961, Jenny is a young, hopeful woman with her life ahead of her, who walks right into the arms of a thrilling, older gentleman, who introduces her to many things new - and forces her into making a fateful decision.
An Education is written by Nick Hornby (Brooklyn (2015)), based on the same-titled 2009 memoir by Lynn Barber, and directed by Danish master filmmaker Lone Scherfig (Italian for Beginners/Italiensk for Begyndere (2000)).
It features a stellar cast led by Carey Mulligan (Never Let Me Go (2010)), who is nothing short of a revelation as Jenny. Peter Sarsgaard (Night Moves (2013)), Dominic Cooper (Miss You Already (2015)), Rosamund Pike (A Rather English Marriage (1999), TV movie), Olivia Williams (Hyde Park on Hudson (2012)), Emma Thompson (I Am Legend (2007)) and Alfred Molina (Swelter (2014)) provide the remarkably fine backup and range from good to formidable.
The film presents a compelling story that's smartly written and handsomely staged. SPOILER Only the father's confession in the end that he has been afraid his whole life seems too much like a written occurrence rather than as an authentic one. But it doesn't change the fact that An Education is an elegant crowd-pleaser.
Related posts:
Lone Scherfig: 2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2009 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
Top 10: The best adaptations reviewed by Film Excess to date
Italian for Beginners/Italiensk for Begyndere (2000) - A perfect gem of a Dogme romcom
Cost: 7.5 mil. $
Box office: 26 mil. $
= Box office success
[An Education premiered 18 January (Sundance) and runs 95 minutes. Shooting took place in Paris, France and in England, including in London and in the Twickenham Film Studios in Middlesex from March - April 2008. The film opened #39 in 4 theaters to a 139k $ first weekend in North America, where it peaked at #14 and in 761 theaters (different weeks; the screens spiked around Oscar time) and grossed 12.5 mil. $ (48 % of the total gross) during its 30 week-long engagement. Its 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 2.9 mil. $ (11.2 %) and Scherfig's native Denmark with 1.8 mil. $ (6.9 %). The film was nominated for 3 Oscars: For Best Picture (lost to The Hurt Locker), Actress (lost to Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side) and Best Adapted Screenplay (lost to Geoffrey Fletcher for Precious). It was also nominated for a Golden Globe, 8 BAFTAS - winning one, 6 British Independent Film Awards - winning one, a European Film Award, an Independent Spirit Award, won two National Board of Review awards, 3 Sundance awards - winning two, among many others. An Education is certified fresh at 94 % with a 7.9 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
What do you think of An Education?
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