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English actress Carey Mulligan was perhaps the biggest discovery of 2009. The accolades started early in the year at the Sundance Film Festival, earning her comparisons to none other the Audrey Hepburn. Capping it off, the young actress received a nomination for Best Actress at the 82nd Academy Awards for her fine performance in Lone Scherfig's An Education. The film, of course, also received a nomination for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Based on Lynn Barber's memoir, with a screenplay by acclaimed novelist Nick Hornby, Scherfig's enormously appealing film depicts the coming of age of Jenny (Mulligan), a fresh-faced 16 year old girl who is seduced by an older man (Peter Saarsgard). The year is 1961. David drives a fancy car and promises the girl fun. He not only promises, he delivers, taking Jenny to her first classical music concert, to expensive restaurants, and on a trip to Paris. Jenny takes giddy delight, perpetually holding out her empty glass and asking for more.

An Education could easily have been a creepy film; its premise certainly has the ick factor -- if young Jenny was being unfairly preyed upon. Jenny, however, thinks otherwise. David does not skulk along the edges, but enters the girls home and woos her working class parents (Alfred Molina and Cara Seymour) with smooth talk. Saarsgard is terrific as David. He is the predator, but somehow, Jenny manages to turn that role upside down.

Mulligan is delicious to watch.

She is ridiculously pretty, but it's much more than that. She delivers each line with remarkable clarity. She eagerly drinks from her new well of champagne, wanting everything David offers her, and wanting more still. She manipulates her parents; she is disdainful of the advice of her favorite teacher (Olivia Williams). Why shouldn't life be fun? Her Jenny is smart and beautiful and aware of her powers; she is greedy, observant, and sharp-witted -- though perhaps not sharp witted enough. Unfortunately, fun comes at cost.

An Education (2009)

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina, Cara Seymour, Olivia Williams
Directed by: Lone Scherfig
Produced by: David M. Thompson, James D. Stern, Douglas E. Hansen
Running Time: 1 hr. 40 min.
Release Date: October 9th, 2009 (limited)
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic material involving sexual content, and for smoking. Distributors: Sony Pictures Classics