Review of film: “AN EDUCATION” + Q&A with LONE SCHERFIG (Dir.) re it [ seen during 45th CIFF ]

2009, 10-23 (& 11-25 UPDATING):

Review of film:  “AN EDUCATION” + Report on Q&A with LONE SCHERFIG & JAMES D. STERN

                              [ = seen during 45^th CIFF ]

On 10-23-09, I first wrote up what constituted my original draft Report # 8 re the 45th Chicago Int’l Film Festival, which was sent / posted then because the film I covered -- “AN EDUCATION” -- was scheduled to be released as of October 23rd in certain areas of the U.S… 

…  I have since gone to a VIDEO recording I did of the film’s Q&A event, & have thus EXPANDED my write-up as of 11-25-09: 

…  Before the film, one of the Executive Producers -- JAMES D. STERN from Chicago --  was introduced by a festival rep.  He thanked the audience for turning out for the movie, & commented that, “I’ve done a LOT of films…  It’s difficult today to do ‘SMALL’ films—” like this one is.  But, overall, “I think I’ve never had a BETTER experience—” than with this one…

…  He introduced the Danish director, LONE SCHERFIG, who commented that, “It’s been fantastic to be in the United States!”, & she’ll be back after the film to talk more in a Q&A…  

                   Here then is my write-up on the MOVIE itself:

Review of film:  “AN EDUCATION”

Director:

Lone Scherfig.

Writer:

Nick Hornby  (who also wrote “High Fidelity” & “About A Boy”).

Starring:

Peter Sarsgaard

Carey Mulligan

Alfred Molina

Emma Thompson

Olivia Williams

Dominic Cooper

Rosamund Pike.

MPAA Rating:

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material involving sexual content, and for smoking.

Quotes:

When Jenny says to David that she doesn’t go to concerts because she doesn’t “believe” in them, he remarks that, “…  I assure you, they’re REAL—”

Jenny says to her teacher Miss Stubbs that, “I feel old. But not very wise.”

MY Rating: 

8 of 10 stars (based on an advance preview of the 95-minute film).

               Learning about LIFE in the School of Hard Knocks

One of the “Special Presentation” films at this year’s Fest (under the “Reel Women” sub-group) was this UK film by female Danish director Lone Scherfig--  who personally introduced the film on 10-11-09 & then held a Q&A afterwards.

…  The well-acted film is set in a London suburb before the rise of the Beatles, and was based on a memoir by writer Lynn Barber.  Jenny (marvelously played by CAREY MULLIGAN) is a very smart & spunky student, regularly rebellious & constantly fighting the strictures put on her by her very conservative, materialistic, money-grubbing father Jack (ALFRED MOLINA)...

…  Sixteen-year-old Carey consistently causes conflicts with teachers such as Miss Stubbs (OLIVIA WILLIAMS) + the Headmistress (EMMA THOMPSON), & wants to go to university at Oxford – which her father says they can’t afford…

…  Seemingly by chance, Carey meets an unusually friendly older man named David (finely played by PETER SARSGAARD), & she’s impressed by his sports car & helpful demeanor (such as offering to transport her cello to keep it out of a pouring rain)…

…  Peter in-effect silently stalks her at times, & eagerly offers to take Carey to expensive outings such as plays, concerts and restaurants. Carey keeps doubting that her father would allow her to go with Peter--  but Peter cleverly charms her parents & impresses Alfred with the fact that he has loads of MONEY that could help Carey in the future…

…  At times, Carey & Peter go out with Peter’s friends Danny (DOMINIC COOPER) & his friend Helen (ROSAMUND PIKE).  But while Peter & Dominic are clearly well-to-do, it’s initially unclear just where their money comes from and what they “do” in life…

…  But, since Carey is having fun & seeing a whole new “exciting” world thanks to Peter, she (& her father) don’t much care about the apparent “oddness” of her growing association with the older man…

…  Bit-by-bit, Peter becomes more encouraging of a romantic & sexual component to his relationship with Carey, including inviting her on potential trysts.  The “Lolita”-like aspect of the relationship might come across as off-putting, except Peter does an exceptional job of coming across as “decent” & “encouraging” rather than exploitative…

…  But, is that all an “ACT” on his part?...  Will Carey start to learn TRUTHS about him & his background, & will that foster or sink their friendship?...  Will Peter actually help her get into Oxford (as he promised)?... 

….  SEE this unusually well-done film & find out!...

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  (o_
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REPORT on Q&A with Director LONE SCHERFIG & Producer JAMES STERN

 

AFTER the film, both Lone Scherfig & James Stern came up to speak for the Q&A (following hearty applause for their movie)… 

…  A guy in the audience commented that, he’d quite ENJOYED the movie, & wondered if the director knew from the beginning just how she was going to CLOSE the film.  Ms. Scherfig revealed that, we were NOT seeing the ORIGINAL ending planned, which had Carey chancing to meet Peter some years later when she was riding a bicycle, & she tells him how he was in-effect the “WRONG” person for her at the time [of their involvement]… 

…  But, when Lone & the producers reflected on that intended ending, it “DIDN’T ‘WORK’—”, & thus she CHANGED it to what we now see in the film…

…  She commented that, compared to people who see the film in EUROPE, maybe it comes across as “more CONTROVERSIAL” in this country because of the AGE GAP between Carey & Peter, whereas it doesn’t tend to be such a “big deal” in Europe…

…  James remarked that, overall, the film has a kind of “conventional” end, in that it’s like Peter is “sort of CONDEMNED to his OWN ‘prison’—”… 

…  A man in the audience asked, why is it important to know the RELIGION of Peter’s character in the film (in that it’s specially pointed-out there)?… 

…  Lone pointed out, it’s a TRUE story, & it was felt that it’d be best to COVER his being Jewish, in part to show how things were during “a XENOPHOBIC period”, with lots of “different” people coming in to the U.K. from the Caribbean and other areas…

…  Peter is shown to be very “OPEN” about his faith [namely, his being “different” than most]…  James added, it in-effect “brands” Peter further “as an ‘OUTSIDER’—” to the mainstream, & Lone remarked that, it also helps show that Carey’s character [Jenny] is “not a RACIST” or the like, even at her young age…    

…  When a man asked, why was the choice made to use an AMERICAN actor (Peter) to play an Englishman?, James replied:  “I guess it’s because he’s really GOOD!”, to which the audience applauded heartily in agreement.  He added that, we often see English actors playing American roles, & Peter was judged as likely to do a fine job in being very smooth & charming, which he was…

…  An audience member asked how LONG it had taken to make the film.  Lone told how writer NCK HORNBY had read an 8-10 page memoir about the true story quite some time back, & his wife had optioned rights to it like 9 years ago…

…  Eventually, the project got the go-ahead, the script was completed by him, she herself was brought on board, & it was then shot in 6-7 weeks, during which “everything went according to SCHEDULE”.  Post-production work was also “pretty fast”… 

…  James commented that, he screened the film in Los Angeles, it “played really WELL” there, & the audience clearly found it quite FUNNY, which he was very pleased to hear because he’d “forgotten how funny it was” in certain ways…

…  As a follow-up to the previous information, a guy in the audience asked, WHICH ending shot for the film is closer to the TRUE story?… , Lone volunteered the information that the real David [the character played by Peter] lives in Israel (as he has for many years) --  and, every year, he still CALLS the real Jenny to wish her well on her Birthday (of which she’s now had 67 or 68)!…  

…  Beyond that, the real Jenny married a guy in England, she’s STILL married to him, she’s still a JOURNALIST there— “and, she even LIKES the film!” they’d made of her life…. The idea of having David’s offering a divorce when he comes to visit Jenny at Oxford “didn’t ring TRUE”, so they dropped any idea of having something like that in the movie…  

…  A woman in the audience asked about the casting of CAREY (who she thought was “wonderful”) in the role of Jenny.  Lone said, Carey was in “PRIDE & PREJUDICE” & “WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER?”, plus she’d done some TV.  But, she was comparatively “unknown”, which is what they were looking for…

…  They saw tapes of 200-250 people to be considered for the role, & Carey was “clearly the BEST” of those seen.  James added, he’s also seen her act in “THE SEAGULL” on Broadway, & yes, Peter was also in that--  but the FILM was done before the play was.  Lone made clear she feels it’s likely that Carey will continue to grow and have a fine career… 

…  A guy in the audience spoke about movies that show “female power”, & wondered if Lone was “annoyed” at the way people sometimes specially refer to her as a “female filmmaker” rather than just as a fine director…

…  She said, well, she finds “it’s FLATTERING” to be mentioned in the same company as KATHRYN BIGELOW [who did “THE HURT LOCKER”] & JANE CAMPION  [who directed “The Piano” & “BRIGHT STAR”].  She commented that, this was the first film she’d done without a MAN as the lead character…

 

…  In the audience, a person asked about the purposeful “Shush!” that’s given by a character in the film, wondering what it was meant to “comment” on.  Lone said, it concerned the WEDDED state of a major character, & whether or not that person’s FRIEND might also be in the same situation…

…  To a question of what it was like working with the writer NICK HORNBY, she said, “It was a PLEASURE!”, citing how he’d been “supportive” concerning both the film and the actors involved.  She felt, it helped that he was “in a GOOD time” in his life for the writing, & James added his feeling that he was like that because he felt “the FILM was going to be GREAT”.  He said, Hornby usually prefers adapting OTHER people’s books, unlike this case where he worked on his own…

…  A man in the audience commented on how the period of the early 1960’s (like in this film) is very POPULAR now, citing the TV show “MAD MEN” as an example, & wondered about Lone’s thoughts about that…

…  She said, she LOVES that series, but one of the reasons it was a good period to cover in the film is, “England was much POORER at the time—”, with people sort of “afraid” of having FUN in such times & feeling that they had to “WAIT” to express such attitudes…

…  She said, while the Beatles & Rolling Stones were recording at the time in which the film is set, she didn’t want to concentrate on that element.  Additionally, it was hard to ignore anything “psychedelic” going on then-- but it was decided to avoid that & instead deal with the more “DRAB” circumstances of the time.  With a smile, she said, “But, THANKS for thinking it’s ‘STYLISH’ [as a film setting]! …”

…  A gentleman in the audience asked about the vital situation of the way Carey & Peter go to PARIS & “ramp up” their involvement.  Lone commented that, it was something clearly acceptable & “planned” between them --  as shown by the way Carey’s character Jenny gently touches his back & her words about all the “poetry”…

…  So, yes, “It’s always about the SCRIPT—” & letting people be “vulnerable”, & that section was always IN the script--  altho it had to be shot very QUICKLY, as they had very little time to shoot in Paris…

…  I then asked a question about any FUTURE projects they had lined up.  James said, he’s set to work on a thriller starring NIC CAGE planned to start in December [2009], & he’s set to direct a film after that… 

…  Lone said, she’s been writing a script for the past 6 months, & looked forward to the potential of turning that into a film…  A Festival person then thanked the audience for its attendance…

  (o_
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