An Education
Release date: 2009-10-29
Votes: 1388
Genres: Drama, Romance
Despite her sheltered upbringing, Jenny is a teen with a bright future; she's smart, pretty, and has aspirations of attending Oxford University. When David, a charming but much older suitor, motors into her life in a shiny automobile, Jenny gets a taste of adult life that she won't soon forget.
Reviews
CinemaSerf
Sixteen year old "Jenny" (Carey Mulligan) lives with her aspiring, middle class, parents "Jack" (Alfred Molina) and "Marjorie" (Cara Seymour) whose only real desire in life is for her to study at Oxford University. This is and has been her sole focus throughout her childhood, until, that is - she encounters the dashing "David" (Peter Skarsgard). He's easily twice her age but is so much more stimulating than her schoolboy friend "Graham" (Matthew Beard). This isn't a sweep her off her feet relationship, he gradually engages her in conversation and finds they share common interests. He makes her feel special, interesting, grown up - and when he introduces her to his friends "Danny" (Dominic Cooper) and "Helen" (Rosamund Pike) she starts to feel like the proper fourth wheel on a social wagon that's truly exhilarating. Needless to say, her schoolwork starts to suffer - much to the chagrin of her teacher (Olivia Williams) and, like we all were at that age, there's no telling her that her short term path is not necessarily in her long term interests. As the film develops, we discover that though harmless enough, "David" and his pal are a pair of cads who make their living legally, but maybe just a little immorally - and when "Jenny" discovers that he has one whopping great (if predictable) skeleton in his closet, she has to put her new found maturity to good use. There's something very natural not just about Mulligan's performance here, but also about her burgeoning relationship with a man who knows just which buttons to press. He's not a nasty man, he has no agenda to get her straight into bed, indeed he seems just as dependent on having this young woman around to make him feel alive as she does him; and those characterisations proves quite effective. The star for me, though, was probably Molina. He portrays almost perfectly a father whose dreams for his daughter partnered with his own middle-class mores leaves him caught between his paternal instincts to protect his daughter and his ambitions that she live a better, more fulfilled, life than he. It does run out of steam a little at the end, but then again I'm not quite sure how I would have wanted it to conclude without copping out - one way or another, so maybe it is for the best. It looks classy, the 1960s cars, costumes and soundtrack see to that and it's well worth a watch,
Movie Recommendation
A Star Is Born1954-10-01A movie star helps a young singer-actress find fame, even as age and alcoholism send his own career into a downward spiral.More...
Respiro2002-05-18Grazia is a free-spirited mother-of-three married to shy fisherman Pietro and living on the idyllic but isolated island of Lampedusa in the Mediterranean Sea. She shows signs of manic depressive behavior — one moment she's laughing wildly and swimming half-naked in the sea, while the next she's curled in a ball on her bed. Out of her earshot, the adult members of her extended family vaguely discuss sending her to a facility of some sort in Northern Italy.More...
Iron Jawed Angels2004-01-16Defiant young activists take the women's suffrage movement by storm, putting their lives at risk to help American women win the right to vote.More...
Tiny Furniture2010-11-12After graduating from film school, Aura returns to New York to live with her photographer mother, Siri, and her sister, Nadine, who has just finished high school. Aura is directionless and wonders where to go next in her career and her life. She takes a job in a restaurant and tries unsuccessfully to develop relationships with men, including Keith, a chef where she works, and cult Internet star Jed.More...
West of Memphis2012-11-22The documentary tells the hitherto unknown story behind an extraordinary and desperate fight to bring the truth to light. Told and made by those who lived it, the filmmakers' unprecedented access to the inner workings of the defense allows the film to show the investigation, research, and appeals process in a way that has never been seen before; revealing shocking and disturbing new information about a case that still haunts the American South.More...
On Tour2010-06-30After leaving France in search of a better life in America, a television producer returns with a group of burlesque dancers to take the Paris club scene by storm.More...
Flirting with Forty2008-12-06A divorcee has a passionate affair with a much younger surfing instructor in Hawaii.More...
Green for Danger1946-12-07In the midst of Nazi air raids, a postman dies on the operating table at a rural hospital. But was the death accidental?More...
I Was a Male War Bride1949-08-26After marrying an American lieutenant with whom he was assigned to work in post-war Germany, a French captain attempts to find a way to accompany her back to the States under the terms of the War Bride Act.More...
Antonia's Line1995-09-21After World War II, Antonia and her daughter, Danielle, go back to their Dutch hometown, where Antonia's late mother has bestowed a small farm upon her. There, Antonia settles down and joins a tightly-knit but unusual community. Those around her include quirky friend Crooked Finger, would-be suitor Bas and, eventually for Antonia, a granddaughter and great-granddaughter who help create a strong family of empowered women.More...
Maîtresse1976-02-11After breaking into a house he believes is empty, thief Olivier is caught by the owner, Ariane, who turns out to be a dominatrix. Improbably falling for her, Olivier returns periodically, and an impulsive romance blossoms despite Ariane's profession. Soon Olivier becomes more familiar with her work, even joining in on occasion. However, when he discovers that Ariane has a son, he attempts to "fix" her, hoping to give her a better life.More...
Casa de Lava1995-02-10The film tells a story of Mariana, a nurse who leaves Lisbon to accompany an immigrant worker in a comatose sleep on his trip home to Cape Verde. The devoted Portuguese nurse took a journey only to find herself lost in abstract drama.More...
Raging Rose2015-11-27Jozef travels from Poland to France to work and to find his son Roman, who he abandoned 15 years earlier. Jozef works for a Polish immigrant family that has successfully settled in France. Rose, the family’s teenaged daughter, volunteers to help him find his son. Roman happens to go to the same school as Rose, and she finds him attractive. After an unexpectedly wonderful experience with Roman, she falls desperately in love with him.More...
Ryan Hamilton: Happy Face2017-08-29Small-town import Ryan Hamilton charms New York with folksy comic observations on big-city life, hot-air ballooning and going to Disney World alone.More...
Bugs!2003-07-24Explore the extraordinary hidden world of insects, where a leaf weighs more than a car, rain drops feel like exploding hand grenades and a blade of grass soars like a skyscraper. Shot on location in the Borneo rainforest, Bugs! brings the beautiful and dangerous universe of its tiny stars up close and personal with cutting-edge technology that magnifies them up to 250,000 times their normal size.More...
Chandralekha1997-09-04An unemployed man saves a rich woman and takes her to the hospital where her relatives mistake him as her husband. He plays along as he needs money to repay a loan.More...
Nuts in May1976-01-13A middle-class couple go camping in Dorset, but peace and quiet elude them.More...
Eye in the Labyrinth1972-03-24Julie is disturbed by the disappearance of her psychiatrist boyfriend Luca following a bizarre dream where she witnessed him murdered. She travels to a seaside village where he might be and encounters Frank, who tells her Luca has indeed been there. Julie's investigation leads her to the house of Gerta, where the mystery deepens among the odd characters residing at this artists enclave.More...
Love Likes Coincidences2011-02-04Year 1977, a September morning in Ankara... Yilmaz tries to rush his pregnant wife Neriman to the hospital and he crushes into Omer's car. This accident causes Omer's pregnant wife Inci, who was in the back seat, to have a pre-term labor. The babies are born on the same day. They see each other for the first time... This accident is the threshold of the coincidences that bring Ozgur and Deniz together.More...
The Fear of 132015-10-15After 23 years on Death Row a convicted murderer petitions the court asking to be executed, but as his story unfolds, it becomes clear that nothing is what it seems.More...
Similar Movies
Forgive and Forget
2000-06-12David O'Neil, a plasterer and mature student Theo have been best mates for fourteen years and are practically inseparable. However, their friendship has become strained as Theo is about to move in with his long-term girlfriend, photographer Hannah. A raging jealousy awakes in David and he starts scheming to break up the loving couple using Hannah's insecurities against them. When the couple eventually separate David is in a quandary about his next move and is forced to confront his long-hidden homosexuality and feelings towards Theo. Eventually, David decides to reveal his sexual orientation and deep love for Theo very publicly by arranging for them both to appear as guests on Judith Adams' talk-show, "forgive and forget", with tragic consequences for their friendship and David's family.The Slingshot
1993-09-24Stockholm in the 1920s. Young Roland lives with his socialist father, Jewish mother and a boxing brother. His mother sells condoms illegally, and from them, Roland makes slingshots which he sells. His rebellious ways has gotten him the special attention of his school teacher, who always makes sure that Roland is punished. Roland also tries to make extra money by repairing bicycles, a successful business that in the end lands him in hot water.Sepet
2004-09-3019-year old Ah Loong is in charge of a street stall selling pirated VCDs. Ah Loong is an incurable romantic with a unique hobby – he loves to read and write poetry. Quite content to carry on being the Romeo of the slums, Ah Loong's life takes on a sudden change one day when a 16-year old Malay schoolgirl arrives at his stall in search of Wong Kar-Wai films.Plus One
2008-08-21After a failed marriage, Masha retreats to the sanctuary of her humble profession as a translator of serious literature. Financial difficulties force her to accept an offer to interpret during a seminar held by an English puppeteer.30 Years to Life
2001-09-04An ensemble comedy that follows the lives of six friends in New York City during the year in which they each reach their 30th birthday. We meet an investment banker from Wall Street, a stand-up comedian, a real estate agent, a marketing executive who perceives any career advancement as a sign of getting old, and a man whose thanks for being in a four-year relationship is a girlfriend who insists on an even greater commitment.The Accompanist
1992-11-11In Nazi-occupied Paris, a young accompanist named Sophie Vasseur gets a job with famed singer Irene Brice. As Irene's husband Charles, a businessman collaborating with the Nazis, wrestles with his conscience, Sophie becomes obsessed with Irene, taking on the role of maid as well as accompanist, living life vicariously through Irene's triumphs and affairs.Sunday's Children
1992-03-01Little Pu spends a summer in Norrland with all his relatives. He and his brother get to hear the story about the watchmaker who hung himself, learns to shoot with a bow and follow his father on a bicycle trip.Tale of a Vampire
1993-02-05Condemned to life without end, and to an undying passion for a lost love he can never find, a vampire stalks a beautiful young woman.The Last Days of Chez...
1992-10-08The story of sisters Vicki and Beth, when Vicki begins an affair with Beth's intriguing French husband.The Playboys
1992-04-22A young woman, Tara Maguire (Robin Wright) scandalizes her provincial Irish village in the 1950s by having a baby out of a wedlock, and refusing to name the father. She has a rare beauty and every man in town desires her, especially Sergeant Hegarty (Albert Finney). The arrival of a dramatic troupe stirs things up even more, especially when she falls in love with one f the "Playboys", Tom Casey (Aidan Quinn).Being 14
2015-02-25The lives and turbulent adventures of a bunch of fourteen-year-old teenagers, through the eyes of three young girls - Sarah, Jade and Louise - with one last year to go before high school.Lying Eyes
1996-12-09A high-school senior becomes a target for murder when her clandestine affair with an older lawyer gets out of control.The Ponder Heart
2001-10-15Uncle Daniel Ponder moves to give away his fortune, while his niece, Edna Earle, tries to tighten the reins on Daniel's generosity. After Daniel marries teenager Bonnie Dee Peacock, her death leads to Daniel's trial for murderMy Hair Is Mine
No data for this movieAkin Ang Buhok Ko follows the story of Juan, a 9-year-old kid, who simply wants to keep his long hair against the wishes of the adults around him. When his father finds out that Juan skips classes to evade a mandatory haircut in school, he promises to cut his child’s hair himself. All the while, Juan, together with his best friend, devises a plan to escape their homes.Sanda
1990-01-01Sanda spends all her time working in a plastic factory, raising her two small children and catering to an indifferent husband, leaving little room for herself. A chance encounter with another man may offer her an escape from her daily chores.Empire of the Sun
1987-12-09Jamie Graham, a privileged English boy, is living in Shanghai when the Japanese invade and force all foreigners into prison camps. Jamie is captured with an American sailor, who looks out for him while they are in the camp together. Even though he is separated from his parents and in a hostile environment, Jamie maintains his dignity and youthful spirit, providing a beacon of hope for the others held captive with him.Confetti
2006-05-05A mockumentary that follows three couples as they battle it out to win the coveted title of 'Most Original Wedding of the Year'.Stick It
2006-04-21Haley is a naturally gifted athlete but, with her social behavior, the teen seems intent on squandering her abilities. After a final brush with the law, a judge sentences her to an elite gymnastics academy run by a legendary, hard-nosed coach. Once there, Haley's rebellious attitude wins her both friends and enemies.Material Girls
2006-08-18Two wealthy sisters, both heiresses to their family's cosmetics fortune, are given a wake-up call when a scandal and ensuing investigation strip them of their wealth.The Color of Milk
2004-08-27Selma's mother died giving birth to her, and Selma's step aunt is living proof that men only cause trouble. So the 11 year old girl makes a deal with her best friends that they will stay away from boys and dedicate their lives to science. And by the way, Selma was probably born on another planet and not meant to fall in love with anyone. But what happens when her friends break the pact, and she actually meets a boy who's not like the rest?