Rosamund Pike

Happy 31st birthday to Rosamund Pike, the classic English rose who was the only good thing about Pierce Brosnan's overblown and risible 007 valediction 'Die Another Day' ...


... and stole the show as an educationally-challenged glamourpuss in 'An Education'.

'An Education' is one of those films I probably wouldn't write about on The Agitation of the Mind: I didn't feel passionate enough about it spend an hour or so putting together 800 words, nor was it so bad that the urge to subject it to a 'Twilight'-style sarcasm-fest proved irresistible. 'An Education' is a perfectly watchable little souffle of a film: it's light and airy and looks quite appetising as it drifts across the screen. But the moment the fork of critical appraisal hoves anywhere near - poof! - it disappears in a cloud of its own insubstantiality.

Yes, I know the conventional wisdom is that 'An Education' succeeds on the brilliance of Carey Mulligan's central performance ("star-making" and "the next big thing" have been staples of damn near every review I've read) and there's no doubting that Mulligan aces the role. But it's a shame that she's getting all the adulation when the rest of the cast are just as good. Particularly Rosamund Pike, who takes the most underwritten and offhandedly stereotyped character in the whole script - scintillant but terminally dim society girl Helen - and imbues a tossed-off supporting role with genuine compassion and likability, shining and sparkling and ultimately stealing every scene she's in.

A large glass of Colombard Chardonnay is being raised to Ms Pike at chez Agitation this evening.