A STAR is born. Twenty-four-year-old British actress Carey Mulligan positions herself as a serious Oscar contender with a mesmerising portrayal of a conflicted schoolgirl in Swinging Sixties London.

Based on a memoir by journalist Lynn Barber, An Education is a rites of passage story blessed with a touching and humorous script by Nick Hornby (High Fidelity). Sixteen-year-old Jenny (Carey Mulligan) meets handsome stranger David (Peter Sarsgaard) on the street and is unsure how to respond to the attentions of the older man.

When their paths cross again, Jenny nervously accepts an invitation to a classical music concert with David’s business partner Danny (Dominic Cooper) and his girlfriend Helen (Rosamund Pike).

They gradually lead her astray, visiting late-night supper clubs and taking country trips.

As a consequence, Jenny’s grades slip and her teacher Miss Stubbs (Olivia Williams) fears her best student is throwing her future away.

An Education is an elegant and affectionate portrait of post-war conservatism, as seen through the eyes of a precocious – yet painfully naive – teen on the cusp of womanhood.

Mulligan’s tour-de-force central performance galvanises the film, striking the right balance between determination and vulnerability.