Carey Mulligan steals the show as a schoolgirl who is introduced to the high life by an older man.

Based on the memoirs of writer Lynn Barber, the central character is Jenny (Carey Mulligan) a precocious teenager who is living a humdrum existence in suburban London until a dashing rich chancer David (Peter Sarsgaard) arrives on the scene. Jenny’s demanding father (Alfred Molina) is hell bent on his daughter attending Oxford but this is thrown into uncertainty when Jenny’s relationship with David blossoms. It’s not just Jenny that gets seduced by the world that David can offer her as her parents seem to be prepared to let slide the fact that she is much younger.

Mulligan is near foot perfect in the role, looking the part for starters and then delivering a performance of striking believability and boundless charm. The rest of the cast all put in likeable performances aided by a great script and direction that offers depth and complexity in their characters. Molina in particular is excellent as Jenny’s overbearing father and gets some of the best lines in the movie.

Any screenplay by author Nick Hornby (About a Boy, High Fidelity) typically warrants attention and An Education does not disappoint. It’s full of sharp observations, humour and witty dialect. There are a lot of social and cultural references relevant to England in the early 60s.

An Education is a funny, warm and hugely enjoyable film. Come next year there should be BAFTA and Oscar nominations in the post for Mulligan and the movie.