Post by Hedvig on May 5, 2010 16:55:51 GMT -6
I saw An Education, the Oscar-nominated film that depicts a "romance" between a young girl in the early 60's England and a suave, 30+ year old con-man. The subject-matter doesn't necessarily fascinate me. I was never one of those girls, I never fell in love or wished for someone to sweep me off my feet in that way. My world is a completely different world - with a mother who used to jump on trains and travel all over Europe when she was a teenager and actively encouraged me to do the same, and living in a culture that pressures you into leaving home early and managing life on your own, I never felt trapped.
So what did I expect to gain from this film? I expected a refreshingly honest and sympathetic depiction of teenage dreams and follies, without moralizing, sentimentality or falseness. I expected a movie that took teenagers seriously as people with their own thoughts which are not necessarily silly or irrelevant. As my mother said, "teenagers think with their hormones - but at least they think."
All in all, the movie does this very well. Jenny, played by Carrey Mulligan who I'm a big fan of because of her tendency to do period dramas, makes mistakes. Of course, how else is she going to learn about life? The movie isn't simply a lesson - it's an education, and even though it depicts Jenny's romance and fun trip as going wrong, it still makes an argument for that you can't stifle young people: if you actively prevent them from living, they will still find a way to do so, and they may go to extremes.
Btw I never did anything like what Jenny did, partly because my tolerant parents were hard to rebel against, and partly because I was apparently born old... I still loved the movie though. Much recommended!
So what did I expect to gain from this film? I expected a refreshingly honest and sympathetic depiction of teenage dreams and follies, without moralizing, sentimentality or falseness. I expected a movie that took teenagers seriously as people with their own thoughts which are not necessarily silly or irrelevant. As my mother said, "teenagers think with their hormones - but at least they think."
All in all, the movie does this very well. Jenny, played by Carrey Mulligan who I'm a big fan of because of her tendency to do period dramas, makes mistakes. Of course, how else is she going to learn about life? The movie isn't simply a lesson - it's an education, and even though it depicts Jenny's romance and fun trip as going wrong, it still makes an argument for that you can't stifle young people: if you actively prevent them from living, they will still find a way to do so, and they may go to extremes.
Btw I never did anything like what Jenny did, partly because my tolerant parents were hard to rebel against, and partly because I was apparently born old... I still loved the movie though. Much recommended!