Carol (A) Movie Review
Carol stars Rooney Mara as Therese Belivet, a young shopgirl, who meets and falls in love with Carol Aird, played by Cate Blanchett, much to the dismay of Harge, Carol's husband played by Kyle Chandler.
Todd Haynes' latest film, director of Safe and I'm Not There, crafts a masterfully meticulous lesbian romance set in the early 50s, in New York City. The film is supported by brilliant performances from its two leads and immaculate visual design.
Speaking of Carol's two leads, Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara give two of the finest performances of the year. Blanchett plays the older woman whom I might compare to Mrs. Robinson from The Graduate, although these plots are quite different. She's tempting and seductive but her personal life is rife with troubles and complications, including a failed marriage. Blanchett's performance is beautifully layered and wise.
I would argue that Rooney Mara gives the finest supporting female performance of the year, even if her role isn't strictly supporting. In fact, she may consume more screentime than Cate Blanchett. But ignoring the supporting actress argument that's been flying around critics' circles, Mara is superb. Her whispery, honest, almost child-like accent feels very appropriate for the time and adds to a certain innocence surrounding her character. Therese Belivet is also a strong, complex female character. She's struggling to find an identity of her own as a photographer and as a young woman in her 20s. She's not very committed to her loving boyfriend, played well by Jake Lacy, and doesn't seem to fully understand her sexuality. Mara captures all of this and more.
Carol is based on the 1952 romance novel The Price of Salt, written by Patricia Highsmith. Phyllis Nagy adapted this novel to film format. It's a very good screenplay. Emotions are repressed and subjected to stares and hand movements, perhaps leading to an emotional stuntedness that may leave the viewer cold for a time but the finale is undoubtedly moving. To judge Carol on its dialogue would not be correct. The film exists in a time and place where dialogue means very little. It's rife with important and existential metaphors and subtext. In fact, the film is interestingly structured like one of its main metaphors. Life is comprised of cycles, just like Therese's favorite childhood toy, a trainset. Nagy structures Carol in cycles until the film's dramatic conclusion. But this is all beautifully understated and I feel can only really be seen in hindsight. It's best to bask in Carol's intoxicating nature before the film comes to a close.
And man, Todd Haynes was grossly snubbed at the Oscars. First, no Best Picture nomination for Carol but Haynes was also totally and completely deserving of a nomination for Best Director. He directs Carol in an exquisitely precise manner. Every glance and hand movement is important and Haynes understands this particularly well. His vision for the film is evident in every frame; beautifully textured and nostalgia-driven aesthetically but scrutinizing of the past's treatment of homosexuality.
It's important for me to note just how gorgeous this film is. Every minuscule detail is perfect. The costume design, production design, and art direction are comprised of fittingly muted and subdued colors that don't give the film a grey look but more of a chilly, atmospheric quality. Ed Lachman, veteran cinematographer, turns in tremendous work here and Carol's cinematography is definitely with the best of the year. Carter Burwell's melancholy score is also perfect.
Carol is an all around stunning achievement, expertly constructed and powerfully acted. Haynes' filmmaking masterclass will undoubtedly enchant, transfix, and mesmerize viewers, similar to how Carol enchants Ms. Belivet.
FINAL GRADE: A
MPAA RATING: R for a scene of sexuality/nudity and brief language
Todd Haynes' latest film, director of Safe and I'm Not There, crafts a masterfully meticulous lesbian romance set in the early 50s, in New York City. The film is supported by brilliant performances from its two leads and immaculate visual design.
Speaking of Carol's two leads, Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara give two of the finest performances of the year. Blanchett plays the older woman whom I might compare to Mrs. Robinson from The Graduate, although these plots are quite different. She's tempting and seductive but her personal life is rife with troubles and complications, including a failed marriage. Blanchett's performance is beautifully layered and wise.
I would argue that Rooney Mara gives the finest supporting female performance of the year, even if her role isn't strictly supporting. In fact, she may consume more screentime than Cate Blanchett. But ignoring the supporting actress argument that's been flying around critics' circles, Mara is superb. Her whispery, honest, almost child-like accent feels very appropriate for the time and adds to a certain innocence surrounding her character. Therese Belivet is also a strong, complex female character. She's struggling to find an identity of her own as a photographer and as a young woman in her 20s. She's not very committed to her loving boyfriend, played well by Jake Lacy, and doesn't seem to fully understand her sexuality. Mara captures all of this and more.
Carol is based on the 1952 romance novel The Price of Salt, written by Patricia Highsmith. Phyllis Nagy adapted this novel to film format. It's a very good screenplay. Emotions are repressed and subjected to stares and hand movements, perhaps leading to an emotional stuntedness that may leave the viewer cold for a time but the finale is undoubtedly moving. To judge Carol on its dialogue would not be correct. The film exists in a time and place where dialogue means very little. It's rife with important and existential metaphors and subtext. In fact, the film is interestingly structured like one of its main metaphors. Life is comprised of cycles, just like Therese's favorite childhood toy, a trainset. Nagy structures Carol in cycles until the film's dramatic conclusion. But this is all beautifully understated and I feel can only really be seen in hindsight. It's best to bask in Carol's intoxicating nature before the film comes to a close.
And man, Todd Haynes was grossly snubbed at the Oscars. First, no Best Picture nomination for Carol but Haynes was also totally and completely deserving of a nomination for Best Director. He directs Carol in an exquisitely precise manner. Every glance and hand movement is important and Haynes understands this particularly well. His vision for the film is evident in every frame; beautifully textured and nostalgia-driven aesthetically but scrutinizing of the past's treatment of homosexuality.
It's important for me to note just how gorgeous this film is. Every minuscule detail is perfect. The costume design, production design, and art direction are comprised of fittingly muted and subdued colors that don't give the film a grey look but more of a chilly, atmospheric quality. Ed Lachman, veteran cinematographer, turns in tremendous work here and Carol's cinematography is definitely with the best of the year. Carter Burwell's melancholy score is also perfect.
Carol is an all around stunning achievement, expertly constructed and powerfully acted. Haynes' filmmaking masterclass will undoubtedly enchant, transfix, and mesmerize viewers, similar to how Carol enchants Ms. Belivet.
FINAL GRADE: A
MPAA RATING: R for a scene of sexuality/nudity and brief language