Carol
Starring Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara
Directed by Todd Haynes
Films as sumptuously gorgeous and deftly woven as Todd Hayne’s romantic drama Carol rarely come along each year. Based on the ground breaking novel by Patricia Highsmith, the movie stars Rooney Mara as Therese Belivet, a 1950s New York shop girl who becomes romantically involved with an older woman named Carol Aird (Blanchett), who is in the midst of a difficult divorce. As the two draw inexorably closer, Carol’s husband Harge (Kyle Chandler) threatens sole custody of their young daughter.
Longing for an escape from the turmoil, the two women embark on a road trip to the Midwest. The movie’s production design and costume details are jaw-dropping in their impeccable detail and, from the first frames of the film, immediately pull the viewer into the setting. In terms of acting, Blanchett and Mara have never been better; particularly Mara, whose performance is so nuanced her best moments exist sometimes without any dialogue. Chandler and Sarah Paulson also provide strong supporting roles.
Making a lesbian-themed ‘50s romance while avoiding clichés and tropes is a tall order indeed but Haynes tactfully tackles the sensitive subject matter. A huge part of Carol’s credit also belongs to screenwriter Phyllis Nagy, who succinctly captures the themes of the source material while always maintaining a genuine sense of emotion that permeates throughout the film. The veritable cherry on top is Carter Burwell’s delicate score, which ebbs and flows naturally, swelling at just the right moments. Carol is bold, beautiful filmmaking and is not to be missed.
