Comments on: An Education & Bodyguards and Assassins http://hongkietown.com/2010/02/an-education-bodyguards-and-assassins.html Still here, just not as often Tue, 07 Feb 2012 06:56:32 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Hendrik http://hongkietown.com/2010/02/an-education-bodyguards-and-assassins.html#comment-1722 Hendrik Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:13:20 +0000 http://hongkietown.com/?p=4999#comment-1722 Dan, no, I don't. Dan, no, I don’t.

]]> By: Dan http://hongkietown.com/2010/02/an-education-bodyguards-and-assassins.html#comment-1709 Dan Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:28:24 +0000 http://hongkietown.com/?p=4999#comment-1709 Does Hendrik review for IMDB? Does Hendrik review for IMDB?

]]> By: Fernando http://hongkietown.com/2010/02/an-education-bodyguards-and-assassins.html#comment-1701 Fernando Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:59:34 +0000 http://hongkietown.com/?p=4999#comment-1701 Saw An Education earlier this week. I agree that the acting was very strong. Not just the leads (I was impressed years ago by Carey Mulligan in the adaptation of Bleak House), but also some of the supporting cast (especially Olivia Williams who did a lot with little screen time as the teacher). Also agree that the film needs to be seen in context, for the period it depicts. I found it interesting as a portrayal of the role of women in that time (especially the way the father's ambitions for his daughter change when a suitable suitor appears) and the issue of schoolgirls dating older men (what happened in the film was not uncommon in my school days). But, in the end it felt trite. Too much happens too quickly, especially her "realisation." Saw An Education earlier this week. I agree that the acting was very strong. Not just the leads (I was impressed years ago by Carey Mulligan in the adaptation of Bleak House), but also some of the supporting cast (especially Olivia Williams who did a lot with little screen time as the teacher). Also agree that the film needs to be seen in context, for the period it depicts.

I found it interesting as a portrayal of the role of women in that time (especially the way the father’s ambitions for his daughter change when a suitable suitor appears) and the issue of schoolgirls dating older men (what happened in the film was not uncommon in my school days).

But, in the end it felt trite. Too much happens too quickly, especially her “realisation.”

]]> By: Hendrik http://hongkietown.com/2010/02/an-education-bodyguards-and-assassins.html#comment-1694 Hendrik Mon, 15 Feb 2010 22:05:31 +0000 http://hongkietown.com/?p=4999#comment-1694 Okay, I get your point. But I think the backgrounds of these 2 people is not a detail. Why them ? Because her father is so different from other fathers ? No. Her mom is so different ? No. His background is hardly mentioned. You made the point yourself in describing England in 1961, worrying that casual viewers might not see this. Then there much be something with her. And if I need my own imagination to fill that in, then to me the story is not complete. Okay, I get your point. But I think the backgrounds of these 2 people is not a detail. Why them ? Because her father is so different from other fathers ? No. Her mom is so different ? No. His background is hardly mentioned. You made the point yourself in describing England in 1961, worrying that casual viewers might not see this. Then there much be something with her. And if I need my own imagination to fill that in, then to me the story is not complete.

]]> By: Spike http://hongkietown.com/2010/02/an-education-bodyguards-and-assassins.html#comment-1683 Spike Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:52:07 +0000 http://hongkietown.com/?p=4999#comment-1683 Come on Hendrik, do you need to "see" everything? Fill in the details with your own imagination. The movie is the girl's story, not the guy's and the girl has dreams her classmates don't for the same reason as any other person has their own dreams. Come on Hendrik, do you need to “see” everything? Fill in the details with your own imagination. The movie is the girl’s story, not the guy’s and the girl has dreams her classmates don’t for the same reason as any other person has their own dreams.

]]> By: Hendrik http://hongkietown.com/2010/02/an-education-bodyguards-and-assassins.html#comment-1682 Hendrik Mon, 15 Feb 2010 12:47:51 +0000 http://hongkietown.com/?p=4999#comment-1682 Sure, all the "why" is answered in terms of what we see. I would have liked some insight in how the guy became the adulterer - his friends are not - and why the girl has these dreams while her class mates apparently don't. The movie starts at a moment that both are ready to undergo their romance, without sharing with us how they got there. Both characters are described as a bit flat, while the story would need otherwise. Don't get me wrong, I thought the movie was enjoyable. Sure, all the “why” is answered in terms of what we see. I would have liked some insight in how the guy became the adulterer – his friends are not – and why the girl has these dreams while her class mates apparently don’t. The movie starts at a moment that both are ready to undergo their romance, without sharing with us how they got there. Both characters are described as a bit flat, while the story would need otherwise. Don’t get me wrong, I thought the movie was enjoyable.

]]> By: Spike http://hongkietown.com/2010/02/an-education-bodyguards-and-assassins.html#comment-1667 Spike Mon, 15 Feb 2010 02:56:08 +0000 http://hongkietown.com/?p=4999#comment-1667 Oh, I think we find out exactly why Jenny and David do what they did. David was clearly a serial adulterer with an attraction to very young girls, and that Jenny was special to him because she was so young, a virgin, most likely prettier and cleverer than the girls he'd been with in the past. She falls for him because girls mature faster than boys and all the boys she knew her age were immature and insecure. She lay in her bedroom every night dreaming of Paris and sophistication and David opened the door for her to all of that. He was handsome, confident, drove a fancy car, wore a Rolex watch, wasn't afraid of her father, took her to classical concerts and real restaurants and Paris. Some girls were like that in 1961 and some girls are still like that today. And that's part of the point of the end of the movie, that she no longer sought such sophistication in relationships; that young, immature but sincere boys were enough for her. Oh, I think we find out exactly why Jenny and David do what they did. David was clearly a serial adulterer with an attraction to very young girls, and that Jenny was special to him because she was so young, a virgin, most likely prettier and cleverer than the girls he’d been with in the past.

She falls for him because girls mature faster than boys and all the boys she knew her age were immature and insecure. She lay in her bedroom every night dreaming of Paris and sophistication and David opened the door for her to all of that. He was handsome, confident, drove a fancy car, wore a Rolex watch, wasn’t afraid of her father, took her to classical concerts and real restaurants and Paris. Some girls were like that in 1961 and some girls are still like that today.

And that’s part of the point of the end of the movie, that she no longer sought such sophistication in relationships; that young, immature but sincere boys were enough for her.

]]> By: Hendrik http://hongkietown.com/2010/02/an-education-bodyguards-and-assassins.html#comment-1657 Hendrik Sun, 14 Feb 2010 15:16:34 +0000 http://hongkietown.com/?p=4999#comment-1657 Yes, I also enjoyed watching An Education, as the acting in the movie seems natural to me. The director and screenplay writer(s) really deserve a compliment that they managed to make an attractive movie out of a very thin not-so-warm story. This is why the movie might win an Oscar. The plot is so predictable. As not much really happens, the film has plenty of time to share with us why the main characters do what they do. But, we don't find out much more background about or some insight in why this guy is doing what he does and why she - supposedly a smart student - so easily falls for him. It just happens. Is it just because times were like that, as Spike describes ? Were girls in 1961 like her ? Maybe not. Yes, I also enjoyed watching An Education, as the acting in the movie seems natural to me. The director and screenplay writer(s) really deserve a compliment that they managed to make an attractive movie out of a very thin not-so-warm story. This is why the movie might win an Oscar. The plot is so predictable. As not much really happens, the film has plenty of time to share with us why the main characters do what they do. But, we don’t find out much more background about or some insight in why this guy is doing what he does and why she – supposedly a smart student – so easily falls for him. It just happens. Is it just because times were like that, as Spike describes ? Were girls in 1961 like her ? Maybe not.

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