Movie Reviews by a Guy Who Can't Stand Movies - "An Education"

If you listen to the show regularly you may know that I DON’T LIKE MOVIES! I know, it’s weird.

But I just can’t sit still for 2 hours. Usually it’s a chore just to get through a film and more often than not I end up taking a nap. On those few occasions when my wife actually drags me to the theatre, the highlight tends to be the bag of popcorn.

And wandering the lobby searching for someone to play air hockey with. Which is what makes this brand new blog experiment all the more unique.

Ladies and gentleman I present to you…

“Movie Reviews by a Guy Who Can’t Stand Movies”.

And what better way to start than by working my way though some of the greatest movies of all time (supposedly).

Yes, EVERY movie I review here has either won the Academy Award for Best Picture (or it was at least nominated, and we all know it’s an honour just to be nominated.)

AN EDUCATION (2009) … Best Picture nominee (lost to The Hurt Locker)
*Available on Shomi

Have you ever heard of this movie?  Nope, me either.  But during the opening credits I was pleasantly surprised to see that Nick Hornby was the writer.  Nick wrote another movie I legitimately like – “High Fidelity”.  That movie had a record store, John Cusack and Lisa Bonet.  (I mean Denise Huxtable, c’mon!!!).  This movie had none of the three.

It’s the story of a 17 year old schoolgirl who engages in a whirlwind romance with a much older man.  Uhhh, I’m not sure if it’s supposed to be sweet and romantic but frankly I found the whole thing creepy.  I’m the father of two girls so this movie scared the hell out of me!!!  And I couldn’t get past that.

Was it a bad movie?  Nope,  Well written, great acting.  I just didn’t ever get emotionally invested.  And I think I spent more time looking at my phone then the TV screen.

Bonus points for the music behind the opening credits which sounds like something out of a Charlie Brown “Peanuts” TV special!

Sleep test … I did drift off for a brief moment but I woke back up and stuck with it until the end.  A small victory.

I’ll give it 2/ 5 buckets of popcorn.