New York and LA on Damned United and An Education
The Damned United is clocking in at a whopping 83 on Metacritic, with three scores of 100 from AO Scott, Kenneth Turan and Andrew O’Herir. It looks like good news for Michael Sheen, and for Peter Morgan on script yet again.
Though his notoriously big mouth often got him into trouble, Clough is a great character for Sheen to play because his personal charm invariably — but not always — got him out of the difficulty. Sheen captures this duality, showing us a man who was delusional to the point of oblivion about how what he was saying would be received by the world at large…
Though it is nominally about what partisans call “the beautiful game,” there’s barely any on-field footage in “The Damned United.” What we get instead is fine acting and directing, splendid dialogue and a story too outrageous to be made up. When you come to think about it, after all, part of coaching is acting a part, and these guys were some of the best.KT
And Mr. Sheen, for his part, expands his remarkable anthology of famous modern Britons, turning the actor’s art into a form of Plutarchan character study. I can’t assess the accuracy of the portrait — provincial American part-time soccer dad that I am, I had never heard of Brian Clough before — and it obviously is not complete. But Mr. Sheen’s performance is persuasive and illuminating not only of the man’s doubts and aspirations but also, as if from within, of his world. AOS
And the raves for An Education after the cut.
With just a few film roles behind her, including flighty Kitty Bennett in the Keira Knightley-starring “Pride & Prejudice,” Mulligan seizes the character of 16-year-old Jenny in a once-in-a-lifetime way. The notion of the single performance that creates a star overnight is surely one of Hollywood’s biggest cliches, but this is one time when you can take it to the bank. ¶ That may seem ironic because there is nothing Hollywood at all about this British independent film written by Nick Hornby from a sliver of a memoir by journalist Lynn Barber and costarring American indie stalwart Peter Sarsgaard. And the director is Denmark’s Lone Scherfig, who has an unerring instinct for illuminating the quirkiness of human nature.
Mulligan is exceptionally empathetic through all these changes, gifted with the ability to make us believe in Jenny as an innocent, Jenny as a person of experience and all the Jennys in between. This is a performance, and a film, to cherish for this year and always.
And the Wall Street Journal’s Joe Morgenstern (like Foundas and Gonzales, no pushover) writes:
There are thrillers, and then there are thrillers. No shots are fired in “An Education,” and the closest thing to a car chase is a bit of brisk driving after the theft of an old map. Yet this tale of an English schoolgirl’s hard-won wisdom is thrilling all the same—for the radiance of Carey Mulligan’s Jenny, who’s wonderfully smart and perilously tender; for the grace of Lone Scherfig’s direction, and the brilliance of Nick Hornby’s screenplay, which took its inspiration, in the fullest sense of the word, from a short memoir by Lynn Barber. The film opens Friday in New York and Los Angeles; national release won’t begin until Nov. 20. That’s a classic distribution strategy to create pent-up demand, but I can’t keep my admiration pent up for another six weeks. No movie I’ve seen in a very long time has touched me so deeply, or bestowed so much pleasure.
I have to agree on An Education, and I know you all are sick of hearing about it – and it’s a damned shame that it is taking so long to be available to see. I think that the film is going to be more powerful, and/or enjoyable for those who have lived through the ups and downs of life. What I mean by that is the film’s focus on what creates character and depth in a person. It isn’t being a fresh-faced beauty. Sure, that’s the message we get on a daily basis here in America, that it is all about being young and beautiful. What I realize as I get older is that youth is a commodity.
But this film is the first I’ve seen to really talk about the value of education – both hard-learned lessons that have to do with some creepy guy, and the richness a university education can bring to anyone, especially a young woman. And so, in addition to how good it is all around, I am grateful that it exists. It’s worth mentioning that three of the year’s deepest and most profound films were directed by women: The Hurt Locker, An Education and Bright Star.
Paddy M says:
Friday, October 9, 2009 at 10:48am
Slightly off-topic, but I have a little question to pose re: An Education…
What do we think are Peter Sarsgaard’s chances of being nominated this year? It’s a strong role, and a prominent one, he’s overdue and liked. On the other hand, ALL the attention seems to be going to Mulligan (not that she doesn’t deserve it). Could Sarsgaard sneak in?
filmlover says:
Friday, October 9, 2009 at 11:20am
I was struck by the fact that A.O. Scott’s review in the NYTimes barely mentioned Mulligan’s performance. He wasn’t overly fond of the film (and his closing line showed that) but I was amazed that she got so little ink.
I saw the film earlier this week and LOVED the first half but wasn’t crazy about the second half. Not bad, just not up to first for me.
I also think that while Mulligan was indeed enchanting this is not an Oscar-winning role. Her arc doesn’t go far enough IMO. I still say Meryl’s got it in the bag at this point.
Sertan says:
Friday, October 9, 2009 at 11:34am
New York Post and Daily News rarely agree on their movie reviews (one gives 1 start to a movie the other one gives 3 or 4 starts). But this time they both agree that Bad Education is a very good movie!
I am hoping that Alfred Molina will get nod too.
Annie says:
Friday, October 9, 2009 at 4:40pm
the girl is getting rave after rave, TIME magazine :
“Yet she seems assured of a career breakthrough and an Oscar nomination for An Education, both because she’s at the center of this appealing movie from first to last and because, through her craft and force of personality, she exudes the sorcerer’s ability to make the camera and the audience adore her.”
I really think she can win the Oscar
Stephen Holt says:
Friday, October 9, 2009 at 7:01pm
A.O. Scott’s Oscarologist ego is at stake, if you ask me. It seems he has one and he has thrown all his considerable/questionable(?) influence behind “Bright Star” and it’s star Abbie Cornish.
This is his attempt to stop Carey Mulligan juggernaut, but I don’t think he can.
As far as I know, the Academy isn’t hot on screening “Bright Star” but they’ve seen “An Education” and are all over it. Esp. the women involved.
The Academy choses which films to see at their official screenings and in what order. Of course, there’s nothing to stop film companies from sending out screeners, etc. instead of hoping the AMPAS masses turn up to screenings. But what they chose to screen and when send a message to members. SEE THIS FIRST or YOU CAN WAIT ON THIS ONE.
To my knowledge, “Bright Star” isn’t on anybody’s to-do list. But guess what “Coco Avant Chanel” is…I know I sound like a broken record. But I think there’s more interest in Audrey Tautou’s performance than there is in Abbie Cornish’s. Again, esp. among the women who set these things up.
And people aren’t loving Peter Sarsgaard’s brilliant perv perf in “An Education.” I’m shocked. But a lot of members a) are confusing the character with the performance (which is an astonishing one, masterful, IMHO) and b)don’t like the fact that the creepazoid is Jewish.
I would say Alfred Molina is playing better with them all as Carey’s wacky dad. Worry is a very sympathetic/universal emotional state and Molina plays all the levels, again, masterfully.
And “Amelia” is DOA, I hear.
I really do think Poland’s “DOR” re: “Bright Star” is sticking to the discussion of the film. “DOR”= Dead on Release.
Ben M. says:
Friday, October 9, 2009 at 8:53pm
I really don’t buy that A.O. Scott has an oscar agenda at this point, he probably just didn’t like An Education as much as others; and frankly once it gets closer to the actual oscars he might easily support Meryl Streep (who has a great chance to win) since he said she outdid herself in Julie & Julia.
Also, I saw The Damned United tonight and it is one of the most entertaining films of the year, I know very little about Brian Clough but Sheen was still impressive while my brother-in-law (who grew up in England and was familiar with him) said he captured him perfectly.
Flapp says:
Friday, October 9, 2009 at 11:22pm
Michael Sheen is great!
Maybe this time he can give his deserved nom, after The Queen and Frost/Nixon.
I loved An Education!
It´s great, EVERYONE IN CAST IS BRILLIANT, whit the lovely and unforgetable Mulligan guilding all them.
daveylow says:
Saturday, October 10, 2009 at 12:07am
A.O. Scott obviously wasn’t crazy about An Education. He not only didn’t talk much about Carey Mulligan’s luminous performance but he barely talked about the rest of the wonderful cast.
And in his review of The Damned United, he seemed to miss that the movie was a lot about Brian Clough and his scout. The movie works because of the relationship played so well by Sheen and Spall.
So I have to say A. O. Scott seems to be watching different movies than I’m experiencing.
I don’t usually like first time Oscar nominees winning Oscars (yes, even Marion) but I wouldn’t be that upset if Mulligan won over Streep. But it seems Mulligan will have other chances in the future.
Ryan Adams says:
Saturday, October 10, 2009 at 5:46am
Let’s be careful to avoid giving the impression that A.O. Scott’s review of An Education was a pan though, ok? His review is rated 80 on metacritic — only 5 points lower than the movie’s overall average. Nope, it’s not a rave, and he seems to praise An Education almost begrudgingly, but he does praise it. Most studios and directors would be thrilled to get a score of 80 from A.O. Scott. He’s over the moon about Bright Star, and that review is only a 90.
Patricia says:
Saturday, October 10, 2009 at 8:42am
We are such competitive beings. This many sound strange to say on a site called “Awardsdaily” but the competitive drive to say who is better than who, much less who is best is annoying. Streep should win over Mulligan. Mulligan should take it over Cornish. What I perceive from all this discussion is that we are not only in an era of strong women performers, but that many of them are quite young. Movie lovers, rejoice.