An Education unsettles

An Education certainly has enough achievements to boast about, namely the star-turn from Carey Mulligan and Nick Hornby’s expertly crafted screenplay. But director Lone Scherfig can’t lift the fog from the creepy undertones of its central relationship. Mulligan’s clever yet sheltered schoolgirl, Jenny, is romanced by the seemingly urbane (and grown up!) David (Peter Sarsgaard). The story walks a tightrope between Jenny’s enviable sentimental education and the unsettling implications of David’s advances. An Education skillfully cultivates genuine suspense out of David’s shifty nature, but it’s uncomfortable to watch such a fishy character yield so much influence in a young woman’s life, even if there is a happy ending.