2009′s “An Education” was not a blockbuster or even a single-family-housebuster. But it was in all of the top awards and critics lists. If you’re willing to stretch your movie-watching legs, you’ll find something valuable here.
Jenny is a 16/17 year old English girl, prepping for a life of proper-ness, when she bumps into a much older 35-year-old man named David. He’s polite, protective, seemingly innocent, and desiring to keep Jenny pure. They begin a friendship that turns into romance. As Jenny is brought into David’s grown-up world of art thievery and real estate planning, parties, trips abroad, she gives up on high school and a proper English life. Her parents are impressed by David’s personality and “honesty” and money(to provide for their daughter), and approve of Jenny’s decisions. Jenny’s education proves to be much more educational and painful than she ever expected.
There are parts of this movie that made me uncomfortable, but I am sure that was the intention on the writer’s part. However, despite some awkardness, the movie is one that I couldn’t look away from. It is well made, well displayed, and interesting from start to finish. The movie’s true shining moment comes as the story comes to a close and we experience, with Jenny, the education that she receives.