An Education

Nick Hornby can write.He can also read.He read a book about an adolescent girl.He....is not an adolescent girl,but he thought he could write a film about a girl(oh clever),and he physical did,and was on variety's top 2007 outproduced scripts.Then...2 and a half years many accolades from festivals and another very solid disappointed,from internet journalists to be specific.This is pretty much the same hype that surrounded "the notorious betty page",a standout performance that will attract award recognition.Only it won't,as with Betty Page the performance is excellent only its in the wrong film.

Carey Mulligan is 24 playing a 16 year old,but with the wisdom and integrity of a 24 year old who daydreams rehashing her life at 16 with the knowledge charisma and wit of a 24 year old.She stands out with the same unabashed ludicrousness of 50 cent playing any role,people talk down to her,the treat her as written,and it works for a while,she works simply and elegantly throughout,but the other actors are terribly good so good in fact,that when the realisation that she is in fat nowhere near a teenager creeps into the audience the actors continue to treat her as such.

Story wise......1961, London(imagine this as the star wars opening crawl),young girl likes learning,meets a guy(so easily damn, bad Nick,you are not attractive,elaborate from your own experiences,and possibly help others,who may be me),goes for a drive.......(last one was a full stop,i like brackets).

The story is irrelevant,as with any biographical tale ,its the social context,the charged politics,the over the shoulder current affairs comments,the minor characters suggestions,music,films,anger,real taught anger at minor background ideals,that set the tone for real impregnation into a world,timeline is not important dress is not either.This fails badly at every one of these things,its 1961!,and there is no life in this world at all,her grand opening to life,is eh going to classical music concert and Supper!,and back in time for bed.Yay!.

This film is disjointed,the real performances are from cameos Emma Thompson,Sally Hawkins,and Olivia Williams are wonderful as always,but as they are so good the unbalance mediocrity of the main cast,tipping it to reveal the gaps flaws and pointlessness of it all.

There are so many flaws it shines on performances that should be nuanced, and a screenplay which if the filmmakers handled it as proper filmmakers would have make it look like a man writing about a girl in adolescence and shown it to be false,instead the small parts are highlighted and the writing keeps the pace bearable.