An Education Blu-ray delivers great video and audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
In the post-war, pre-Beatles London suburbs, a bright schoolgirl is torn between studying for a
place at Oxford and the more exciting alternative offered to her by a charismatic older man.
An Education is a throwback movie that emphasizes -- and embraces -- substance over
style, the picture never visually flashy but instead exceptionally constructed so as to build a story
with characters that audiences will become lost in, concerned for, and empathetic towards.
Indeed, An Education -- one of 2009's critical darlings and nominated for three Academy
Awards including Best Picture and Best Actress for young Carey Mulligan (Public Enemies) --
manages to exceed even the loftiest of expectations thanks to a construction that boasts several
shining performances on top of a simple yet elegant and moving tale of innocence caught in the
midst of a glamorous world that's at once both everything it promises and nothing like it seems.
Directed by
Lone Scherfig and based on a screenplay penned by Nick Hornby for which the film received its
third Academy Award nomination, An Education proves a dazzling movie watching
experience;
it's fluffy and light while also emotionally charged and thematically deep, the picture something of
a rare effort that manages to in its 100-minute runtime toss a wide array of emotions at its
audience without becoming jumbled or unclear in its purpose, structure, feel, or heart.
Meet the parents.
London, 1961. Jenny (Mulligan) is a book-smart 16-year-old girl who's been pushed to be the
best she can be in the classroom by her loving but demanding father Jack (Alfred Molina, Identity) who hopes
for his daughter an Oxford education and a promising and secure future. Among Jack's plans to
ensure her acceptance to the prestigious university is to interest her in the cello, an endeavor
that takes time away from her studies but is bound to impress the admissions office. One day
after cello practice, Jenny meets David (Peter Sarsgaard, Jarhead), a man
several years older than she, who offers her cello a ride home in his car to keep it safe from a
pouring rain. The chance meeting proves amiable enough, and a second encounter yields a
proposal for dinner and a concert, which Jenny giddily accepts. Jenny begins a full-fledged
relationship with David, becoming involved in the alluring London nightlife with the promise of
more as she becomes part of a group that includes David's friend and business partner Danny
(Dominic Cooper) and his girlfriend Helen (Rosamund Pike). As Jenny's grades -- and her future
at Oxford -- begin to fade, her spirits soar as she experiences life as she only dreamed, and much
to her surprise, her parents are far more accepting of David than she anticipated. Will Jenny find
true happiness in the arms of an older gentleman, or will her sky-high new world come suddenly
crashing in on her, leading her back to the doldrums of reality?
Viewers that may be turned off by An Education's seemingly inappropriate or sleazy
subject material need not worry; this PG-13-rated film is only superficially about a relationship
between a 16-17-year-old schoolgirl and an older gentleman. Below the surface but not by any
means obscured or difficult to see lies the true crux the story, an examination of innocence
tested in "the real world" that exists outside the confines of home and the structure of school.
An Education does indeed construct a story and crafts its themes through a relationship
that's taboo, but the film spends more time examining the effects of the relationship on an
emotional level rather than a physical one; in fact, it's free of nudity and only implies the sexual
aspects of the relationship without diving into any explicit detailing, visual, verbal, or otherwise.
Material that borders on the offensive or the inappropriate is handled with the utmost care, and
indeed, An Education enjoys something of a juxtaposition that sees the relationship
through both a light, delicate, and gentle stage as well as through a rougher, more disturbing
prism that examines the consequences of Jenny's actions, thought process, and a change in
attitude through the film. An Education manages to capture a wealth of emotion in its
story, from humor to passion, from love to hate, from excitement to sorrow, all of which play as
more central to the thematic importance of the story, the age differences between Jenny and
David certainly the driving force behind the story and that which defines how the story plays out
and its themes interpreted, but there's far more here of value than a one- or two-sentence
summation of the story might otherwise lead one to believe.
At its center, then, An Education is a film of one individual's evolution as she experiences
a world far different from her own, one that had previously only existed in magazines, records,
gossip, and Jenny's own mind. Her relationship with David shapes her existence in ways both
physical and emotional as she traverses through a new and exciting world that's everything she
could have ever hoped for and dreamed of, until several doses of reality scrape away at the
glamour of the high life and reveal her new approach to and outlook on life to be only an illusion
that is, perhaps, best left in magazines, records, gossip, and the mind, at least as they pertain to
Jenny's own life path. Jenny comes to learn that life isn't about what's easily obtained but rather
what's worked towards. Life, she learns, is what she makes of it, and is defined by the company
she keeps and the actions both she and they take; it's the sum of the whole life experience --
before David and with David -- that shapes her approach to the relationship and its many
revelations and subsequent effects on her life, not simply a piecemeal here-and-now snapshot
that fades with time and, more relevant to An Education, exposure to the hazards that
any lifestyle, particularly one she's not ready for, can bring. An Education is a masterful
film at telling a simple story but also at packing it with thematic over- and undertones that dig
deep
into what life is all about. It's a film that looks at the consequences of one's own actions, of
dreams, of missing the bigger picture for the sake of that one shining moment that promises the
moon but truly offers only a ray of excitement that's blinding of the harmful consequences
around it.
Simply put, An Education is just the story of a girl learning extraordinary things about life
and, more importantly, about herself during a whirlwind romance with a knight in shining armor
that promises to deliver all she's ever dreamed of and the stark contrast between the allure of
adulthood and the reality of young innocence.
An Education's wonderful story and dramatic elements come together thanks to both
Director Lone Scherfig's fine yet unobtrusive work behind the camera and the collection of
exceptional performances that bring the characters to vivid life and ultimately allow the audience
to become completely immersed in the lives of several 1961 Londoners. Of the leads, it is
perhaps Alfred Molina's effort as Jenny's overbearing and anti-semetic father Jack that serves as
the glue to the entire story. Concerned for his daughter's well-being first and foremost, Jack
pushes school on Jenny until he comes to know David as someone that he believes can secure a
future for his daughter, a notion that turns his approach to his daughter on a dime and sees him
suddenly stress the relationship over schooling; Molina brings a passion to the role that makes
him a real father figure, protective but wanting only the best for his girl. He injects a bit of subtle
humor into the part but ultimately turns in a rather moving effort that truly shines through in
the film's final act. Olivia Williams (Rushmore) is also exceptional in a supporting part as
Jenny's
schoolteacher; taking on a homely look and concerned for her prize pupil's welfare outside the
classroom and not just in it, Williams' character also plays central to the film's dramatic elements
and resolution as something of a foil to Jenny's suddenly free-spirited approach to life, the actress
turning in a convincing effort in every scene. Ultimately, however, it's the performances of Carey
Mulligan and Peter Sarsgaard that make An Education a standout film in the acting
department. Mulligan handles her challenging part -- that of a young and impressionable girl
balancing her newfound freedom to live an adult-oriented life while still maintaining an innocence
befitting her numerical age -- to Oscar-nomiated perfection. Meanwhile, Sarsgaard turns in one
of the best efforts of his career as a smooth, confident, but mysterious older gentleman who
becomes the object of affection of an underaged girl who sees in him a glamorous life that
embodies all she's ever wanted but that seemed constantly out of reach; the actor handles the
challenging part delicately but confidently, devouring the material and delivering a seamless effort
in a film littered with memorable performances.
Sony Pictures Classics' latest Blu-ray release, An Education, features a good-but-not-
great
1080p, 2.35:1-framed transfer that delivers a quality film-like appearance but is nevertheless not
quite as stunning as the best Blu-ray releases. Amidst what is sometimes incredibly strong
detailing, An Education features some excessively soft shots with faces in particular
occasionally
appearing undefined and pasty. Generally, An Education delivers something of a cold,
sterile image that's defined by shades of gray and blue, and while there's certainly a fair amount
of
color in the image, nothing stands out as abundantly bright and cheery. Texturing on building
façades, pavement, school uniforms, and the like are nicely rendered with what is sometimes a
"reach out and touch it" realism, but the image suffers a bit, in contrast, thanks to a somewhat
flat
appearance. Black levels, however, a rich and deep, but flesh tones can waver between anything
from
a bit on the pale side to showcasing a hint of red. The image is nothing if not consistent,
remaining
clear and stable throughout, the filmic quality reinforced by a moderately heavy layer of grain,
but
An Education just isn't the sort of film that's going to wow viewers, at least from a purely
visual high definition perspective.
An Education boasts a reserved but nevertheless good-in-context DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless
soundtrack. This is a fairly front-heavy presentation with only limited background ambience.
Listeners won't often feel immersed into the various environments seen throughout the film, save
for when there's sufficient sonic information to do so. A driving rainstorm early in the film delivers a
quality presence across the front with a hint of back-channel support, but several booms of thunder
nicely traverse the listening area for a full and engaging presentation that delivers everything but a
dark cloud over the soundstage. Likewise, a night club scene later in the film positively places the
listener in the midst of the crowd, with the deep, heavy, but clear accompanying percussion beats
smoothly entering the listening area for a full and realistic effect. The track is exceptionally clear
throughout, with nary a musical beat, sound effect, or syllable out of place. The film's light and
sometimes playful score -- particularly as heard over the opening title sequence -- enjoys pinpoint
clarity, and dialogue reproduction never misses a beat. Like the video presentation won't open any
eyes, this soundtrack won't necessarily wow audiences in the same was as some big summer Action
blockbusters might, but Sony has once again delivered a high quality listen that's perfectly suitable
for the style of film it accompanies.
An Education enrolls on Blu-ray and earns but a fledgeling grade for its small collection of
supplements. First up is an audio commentary track with Director Lone Scherfig and Actors
Carey Mulligan and Peter Sarsgaard. This is something of an affable track that focuses more on
anecdotes and haphazard conversation than it does any sort of hardcore technical
discussions. While there's still some brief discussions about thematic elements in the film,
shooting techniques, filming locations, changes between script and final film, the performances of
the cast, and other technical information, the track generally plays with a light and
inconsequential tone that fans of the film will enjoy, but those looking for a 100-minute film
school-type commentary will want to give this one a pass. The Making of 'An Education'
(480p, 8:59) proves a competent but all-too-brief look at the film's story, dramatic elements and
themes, and the performances of the cast. Walking the Red Carpet (1080i, 8:25) takes
viewers to the film's premiere at Hollywood's Egyptian Theater and offers a collection of
impromptu interview snippets with cast and crew. Also included is a collection of 11 deleted
scenes (480p, 16:12); BD-Live functionality; the An Education
theatrical trailer (1080p, 2:24); and additional 1080p trailers for Did You Hear About the
Morgans?, The Imaginarium of Doctor
Parnassus, Chloe, Coco Before Chanel,
It Might Get Loud,
Whatever Works,
The Class, Married Life, The Jane Austen Book
Club, and Michael Jackson's This is
It.
An Education is at once both a feel-good romance while building towards something of a
more deep and relevant emotional undertone that comes to the surface in the final act and lends
weight to a movie that's of several unique twists and traits but never plays as anything but
coherent, entertaining, and most importantly, thematically satisfying. An aptly-titled picture if
there ever was one, An Education examines a young girl's whirlwind romance and what
it teaches her about love, lust, family, schooling, honesty, integrity, and indeed the world as she
experiences life -- and all it has to offer -- in a way that educates her more than any textbook or
lecture ever could. A standout of a story that's made all the better by a collection of exceptional
performances from a group of actors that prove here one of the better ensemble casts in recent
memory, An Education is a complete movie that may be of a somewhat difficult subject
material but is nevertheless of high value from not only an entertainment perspective but also as
a
film that serves as something of an honest -- and at times both heartwarming and heartbreaking
-- look at what the world has to offer to an impressionable young mind and the consequences of
jumping into a lifestyle that's not made for an individual still trying to find their place in the world.
Sony's Blu-ray release of one of the best films if 2009 is, as expected, a sparkling effort. This disc
captures the film's deliberately cold visual style well enough, while the lossless mix delivers a
clean and clear presentation of the picture's reserved but contextually effective soundtrack.
Although
the supplemental section could stand a few added features, This Blu-ray release of An
Education nevertheless earns a glowingly high recommendation based on the strength of the
film and its accompanying technical presentation.
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