Molina

I just got back from seeing An Education-- what a great film! Carey Mulligan is being touted as the Next Big Thing, and I'm pleased to say that it's entirely warranted. She was fantastic as the main character. She was everything that Zooey Deschanel wants to be. THERE. I said it. And I will stand by that. Mulligan seems to have this preternatural understanding that when she's in the frame, she can use her entire person to tell the story, not just her eyes or voice.

The soundtrack was fantastic. I know very little about who was involved, but it was wonderful.

Peter Sarsgaard was perfectly off-putting. I can't say much about his involvement in the movie beyond just basic evaluation-- he was awesome-- because it would give it away. But, again, he used his entire arsenal to tell the story.

The supporting cast-- Rosamund Pike, Emma Thompson (!!!), Alfred Molina, Olivia Williams [why did I not know about her before!?], Cara Seymour, and Dominic Cooper-- was rock solid. These are some talented actors at work here and there is zero messing around. Each of them had a part that allowed for some movement and freedom, and there wasn't a single misstep. They could run a workshop for the Kirsten Dunsts and Orlando Blooms. (Note: I just read that Orlando Bloom was initially supposed to play Dominic Cooper's role. Thank Christ he didn't.)

Anyway-- I highly recommend the movie. There were funny parts, touching parts, some slightly creepy parts, some BAD ASS parts, but not a single part that I didn't enjoy.