Romantic tryst in Paris delights!
There weren't any smash-ups - or even any risque moments - offering up titillating gratuitous sex.
And, no special effects, to speak off.
But, Educating Rita - a well-crafted period drama shot on location across the big pond - has still managed to snag captive audiences and mesmerize them along the absorbing way.
The story focuses on a naive 17-year old student - Jenny (played expertly by Carey Mulligan) - who (while still at home with her parents) embarks on a romance with a charming persuasive older man (Peter Sarsgaard).
Within a few short establishing scenes, David - a cultured man-about-town - manages to wangle his way into her tender heart (and bond with her parents, too).
Oh, he's a smooth operator, alright.
Before you can utter- "swept off her feet" - he's wining and dining the young lass and introducing her to the intriquing world of art, elegant supper clubs, and a social whirl that soon ensnares her into a web of romantic bliss.
A trip to Paris bodes well for the newly-engaged twosome.
Suddenly, a twist in the road turns the rosy affair into a tawdry misstep for Rita and her parents.
By accident one day, the nubile young beauty stumbles on a handful of letters, and is shocked to discover that the object of her affection is a married man (with a child, to boot).
The fact that her beau is a petty thief - and con-man - is of little consequence now.
Having wasted precious hours - that should have been spent towards her studies - the ardous task of getting prepped for an entrance exam to Oxford looms large now.
Desperate, Rita enlists the aid of a tudor and works feverishy to get back on track.
Mulligan does a star turn here in role that suits her to a "t".
Sarsgaard, meanwhile, carves out a niche for himself in loftier thespian circles.
I expect there will be more offers to play cads and ne'er-do-well's in the future as Hollywood power-brokers zeroe in on a talent that has been drifting beneath their radar 'til now.
Kudos to Alfred Molina and Cara Seymour for their strong credible performances in the roles of Jenny's parents..
Emmy Thompson appears in a throw-a-way role without much impact.
If you're into intelligent little gem flicks - that don't bang you on the head to get a point across - An Education is just right for your artistic sensibilities.
Nick Hornby's adaptation of Lynn Barber's memoir - set in 1961 London - caused quite a buzz at Sundance last year.
Everywhere I turned- elsewhere - film buffs were chatting-up the coming-of-age story or dashing off to catch it when it was in limited release around the country last year.
An Education won the Audience Choice award and the Cinematography award at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, in fact.
Understandably, there have been nods from the Academy, too.
The Sony Classics release is nominated for three Oscars - Best Actress, Best Adaptation (of previously published material), and Best Feature Film.
Tune in to the 82nd Annual Oscars celebration on March 7th and see how the nominations pan out, eh?
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