"AN EDUCATION": MORE COM THAN ROM

“An Education” is a rom-com with a twist, a slice of real life from the neglected end of the Sixties, served up by two fine writers, with the novelist Nick Hornby adapting a memoir by Lynn Barber, the demon interviewer of Fleet Street.

Oddly for a true story, the romance is implausible. A super-bright girl falls for an older man without doing the one thing she later became famous for: asking questions. But if you swallow your disbelief, this is a treat. The Danish director Lone Scherfig brings a sly touch and a strong cast (Alfred Molina, Emma Thompson). The design is gorgeously detailed. The com outshines the rom, with Rosamund Pike, as a playboy’s moll, bringing wit as well as glamour. And Carey Mulligan (pictured, with Pike on left) is terrific. She’s 24, but plays 16 beautifully—even when she’s withering, she’s still endearing. Baftas for best newcomer and production design, if nothing else.

"An Education", in cinemas in America; British release October 30th

~ TIM DE LISLE