Carol (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'Carol' (adapted from a Patricia Highsmith novel & directed by Todd Haynes, Far From Heaven) is a stylish, elegant, and haunting motion picture. Not unlike Douglas Sirk’s women's dramas from the 1940s/50s {though, lesbians are front & center here, not Rock Hudson & Jane Wyman}, this is the kind of movie that stays with the viewer long after leaving the theater. By relying more on tone & visuals rather than traditional narrative devices or plot, Todd Haynes has fashioned a woman's melodrama whose moodiness lingers in the mind -- to say that this film is immersive is an understatement. Set during Christmastime in a repressive, buttoned-up 1952, 'Carol' is about a forbidden romance btwn. an older socialite & a younger woman, portrayed, respectively, by Cate Blanchett & Rooney Mara. Blanchett is Carol Aird, a glamorous, upper-middle class suburban housewife/mother, who is dissatisfied with her life. Her husband, Harge (Kyle Chandler, of Friday Night Lights), is an executive & heavy drinker, who expects his beautiful, statuesque wife to abide by society's moral rule, which means she is to take care of him, their house, & their daughter.
Rooney Mara is the quiet, reserved Therese Belivet, a Manhattan shop girl with a passion for photography. They first lock eyes when Carol is Christmas shopping at Therese's department store & asks for advice on a gift for her daughter, Rindy. It is immediately obvious that an attraction & connection has been ignited. Carol purposely leaves her gloves behind, & infatuated Therese, having her address from a shipping slip, mails them back to her. They make contact, meet for lunch, & Carol even invites Therese to their country mansion. Of course, all of this raises red flags for Harge. Aware of his wife's prior relationship with a woman named Abby (Sarah Paulson), he takes one look at Therese and is instantaneously suspicious ("Just how DO you know my wife!?", he rumbles). As Harge takes damaging legal steps to keep Carol away from Rindy on 'moral grounds', Carol & Therese tip-toe around the powerful connection they're feeling -- that is, until they go on an extended road trip together. Eventually, they give-in to their emotions & express their love in one of the most sensual love scenes that I've seen in some time. Of course, eventually they must to return to NY, where Carol's relationship with Therese could mean that she won't be able to see her daughter, and where Therese must decide which direction her life will take her. Melodrama ensues.
You know, too many movie romances suffer from over-plotting. But 'Carol' wisely puts the focus on the 2 leads. Their relationship develops in a believable fashion and is shown - not mostly from fired-up dialogues - but through glances, expressions, & body language. Todd Haynes captures the subtle nuances of their interactions and, the chemistry btwn. Blanchett & Mara is palpable. And even given that, their performances thrive individually. Blanchett's Carol is the type of woman who - on the outside - always appears to be in control. However, a wellspring of angst & doubt bubbles beneath her cool veneer. Blanchett bowled me over because her voice, accent, mannerisms, way she held herself ... all felt new to me. Every actress embodies certain ticks that we can see from film to film. But here, she just really seemed like ... Carol. Mara impressed, too. Her Therese may be a fragile young woman starting to find her way in life, but there's also a steeliness that she inhabits; and it is her love-making encounter with Carol that seemed to light a fire inside. One of my favorite moments btwn. them is shown in the opening & closing scenes where Carol brushes her hand against Therese's shoulder and the typically stoic Therese - for one millisecond - melts into a puddle with one droop of her head -- it's an image that expresses volumes without anyone saying a word.
So yes, while the script explores these women's lives & the bond that unites them, it's not so much the plot that dominates the proceedings. It is Blanchett & Mara's beautifully restrained portrayals. It is Kyle Chandler's Harge who thinks his wife's sexual/emotional state is a passing phase and not a certainty; and Sarah Paulson, who brings a groundedness to Abby, Carol's ex. It is Todd Haynes' direction & striking re-creation of the era; the sets, costumes, hair & make-up (I found myself gazing at Carol's luxurious mink coat & the bright salmon color of her fingernails) -- the milieu that is created for this film is simply astounding. I don't think I've ever seen another film that looked & felt like I was experiencing the 1950s more so than this one. It is the way in which cinematographer Edward Lachman uses his camera to capture certain glances, furtive looks, gestures, & the deafening silences that speak volumes. What often carries this film are the pauses & inflections, rather than any words leaving the characters' lips. It is also Carter Burwell's sophisticated, melancholy musical score. See, all of this dominates the film more than the plot.
That's not to say that there aren't some stirring scenes full of scintillating dialogue or pulse-racing incident. There is a tense scene involving our leads, a P.I., and a gun. And there's an emotionally-charged scene near the end when Carol finally confronts her bewildered, bitter husband, pleading with him to put their daughter's welfare above his vengefulness in their custody battle. But again, Todd Haynes' poetic direction -- the blurred visions through a rain-splattered car window, the roar of a passing train, and the gaze of Therese upon the majestic Carol -- offers more to us in this film than mere dialogue could ever achieve. Using these images, he creates a dream-like state for nearly 2 hours. Haynes also poignantly reminds us how socially handicapped the 'polite' society of the 1950s could be. He shows Therese's quest to live an authentic life in an era full of social prejudice & bigotry. And he shows how violating social mores to be with the one you love just might be worth the risk. Viewers who crave action might find 'Carol' tedious. But it provided me a deeply moving, wonderfully delicate film experience; and one that ends on a perfect note.
Rooney Mara is the quiet, reserved Therese Belivet, a Manhattan shop girl with a passion for photography. They first lock eyes when Carol is Christmas shopping at Therese's department store & asks for advice on a gift for her daughter, Rindy. It is immediately obvious that an attraction & connection has been ignited. Carol purposely leaves her gloves behind, & infatuated Therese, having her address from a shipping slip, mails them back to her. They make contact, meet for lunch, & Carol even invites Therese to their country mansion. Of course, all of this raises red flags for Harge. Aware of his wife's prior relationship with a woman named Abby (Sarah Paulson), he takes one look at Therese and is instantaneously suspicious ("Just how DO you know my wife!?", he rumbles). As Harge takes damaging legal steps to keep Carol away from Rindy on 'moral grounds', Carol & Therese tip-toe around the powerful connection they're feeling -- that is, until they go on an extended road trip together. Eventually, they give-in to their emotions & express their love in one of the most sensual love scenes that I've seen in some time. Of course, eventually they must to return to NY, where Carol's relationship with Therese could mean that she won't be able to see her daughter, and where Therese must decide which direction her life will take her. Melodrama ensues.
You know, too many movie romances suffer from over-plotting. But 'Carol' wisely puts the focus on the 2 leads. Their relationship develops in a believable fashion and is shown - not mostly from fired-up dialogues - but through glances, expressions, & body language. Todd Haynes captures the subtle nuances of their interactions and, the chemistry btwn. Blanchett & Mara is palpable. And even given that, their performances thrive individually. Blanchett's Carol is the type of woman who - on the outside - always appears to be in control. However, a wellspring of angst & doubt bubbles beneath her cool veneer. Blanchett bowled me over because her voice, accent, mannerisms, way she held herself ... all felt new to me. Every actress embodies certain ticks that we can see from film to film. But here, she just really seemed like ... Carol. Mara impressed, too. Her Therese may be a fragile young woman starting to find her way in life, but there's also a steeliness that she inhabits; and it is her love-making encounter with Carol that seemed to light a fire inside. One of my favorite moments btwn. them is shown in the opening & closing scenes where Carol brushes her hand against Therese's shoulder and the typically stoic Therese - for one millisecond - melts into a puddle with one droop of her head -- it's an image that expresses volumes without anyone saying a word.
So yes, while the script explores these women's lives & the bond that unites them, it's not so much the plot that dominates the proceedings. It is Blanchett & Mara's beautifully restrained portrayals. It is Kyle Chandler's Harge who thinks his wife's sexual/emotional state is a passing phase and not a certainty; and Sarah Paulson, who brings a groundedness to Abby, Carol's ex. It is Todd Haynes' direction & striking re-creation of the era; the sets, costumes, hair & make-up (I found myself gazing at Carol's luxurious mink coat & the bright salmon color of her fingernails) -- the milieu that is created for this film is simply astounding. I don't think I've ever seen another film that looked & felt like I was experiencing the 1950s more so than this one. It is the way in which cinematographer Edward Lachman uses his camera to capture certain glances, furtive looks, gestures, & the deafening silences that speak volumes. What often carries this film are the pauses & inflections, rather than any words leaving the characters' lips. It is also Carter Burwell's sophisticated, melancholy musical score. See, all of this dominates the film more than the plot.
That's not to say that there aren't some stirring scenes full of scintillating dialogue or pulse-racing incident. There is a tense scene involving our leads, a P.I., and a gun. And there's an emotionally-charged scene near the end when Carol finally confronts her bewildered, bitter husband, pleading with him to put their daughter's welfare above his vengefulness in their custody battle. But again, Todd Haynes' poetic direction -- the blurred visions through a rain-splattered car window, the roar of a passing train, and the gaze of Therese upon the majestic Carol -- offers more to us in this film than mere dialogue could ever achieve. Using these images, he creates a dream-like state for nearly 2 hours. Haynes also poignantly reminds us how socially handicapped the 'polite' society of the 1950s could be. He shows Therese's quest to live an authentic life in an era full of social prejudice & bigotry. And he shows how violating social mores to be with the one you love just might be worth the risk. Viewers who crave action might find 'Carol' tedious. But it provided me a deeply moving, wonderfully delicate film experience; and one that ends on a perfect note.