Thursday, Feb. 04, 2010
An Education
This slight, pensive romantic comedy, the story of a precocious London schoolgirl in the early '60s who attracts the ardor of a businessman twice her age, was something of a surprise inclusion. The success of the movie, which also earned a nomination for Nick Hornby's screenplay, is surely due to the charm of its young star, Carey Mulligan, a sweet sorceress of the first order. Which raises a piquant question: not Is Mulligan the new Audrey Hepburn? (No one will ever be the new Audrey Hepburn; that lady was sui generis.) Rather, given Mulligan's ability to cast a spell over enough Oscar voters to gain her film a slot in the Best Picture race, is she the new Sandra Bullock?