Carol
Go! A pure love story that transcends sexuality.
Two women find 1950's romance.
It's that time again. Pre-nomming season! Not the #nomming you'll be doing on Christmas Day ya big muncher, but the award #nomnomnoms beginning with the Golden Globe nominations, announced on December 10th. It's a good time for cinema - where Christmas blockbusters weave with insightful character studies, forming a long plait of enjoyable viewing. For those gunning for the big Best Actor/Actress Oscar, it is time to pull out a biopic of a historic character; the tragic but heart-warming tale of a person facing a disability / mental illness; someone that does something remarkable during a war; or the emotional love story of someone dealing with the consequences of their sexuality. Get into one of these categories and you're looking #nomtastic.
Coincidentally, Carol is the emotional love story of a woman dealing with the consequences of her sexuality. Based on Patricia Highsmith's seminal 1952 novel, The Price of Salt, it is set in early 50's New York City, just before Christmas. Carol (Cate Blanchett, Blue Jasmine) encounters budding photographer Therese (Rooney Mara; The Social Network, Her) who is working in a department store. They share an immediate warmth and a series of small but increasingly significant steps draw them closer and closer together. Meanwhile, Carol is dealing with the fallout from being estranged from her husband Harge (Kyle Chandler, Zero Dark Thirty, The Wolf of Wall Street) and the battle for the custody of their daughter, Rindy. Sparks of competing shades begin to fly from both sides, as Carol's burgeoning romance with Therese intensifies and what remains of her relationship with her scorned husband begins to break down.
If there is any such thing, some would say that it sounds like a typical "lesbian period drama"; where the latent sexuality of one woman meets its patent counterpart in another and society's prejudicial intolerance foists misery on a couple in the face of their yearning romance. While this is true to a degree and those wider social issues are relevant to certain elements of the story, a huge achievement of Carol is to transcend anything that imposes a narrow-minded genre label onto it: two people simply meet and the inevitability of their attraction catapults them towards a potential love. It is, for the most part, a love story in the vein of any other; the most distinguishing feature being that twice Academy Award #nommed director, Todd Hayes (Far From Heaven, I'm Not There) and his leading ladies have achieved it so elegantly.
If there is any such thing, some would say that it sounds like a typical "lesbian period drama"; where the latent sexuality of one woman meets its patent counterpart in another and society's prejudicial intolerance foists misery on a couple in the face of their yearning romance. While this is true to a degree and those wider social issues are relevant to certain elements of the story, a huge achievement of Carol is to transcend anything that imposes a narrow-minded genre label onto it: two people simply meet and the inevitability of their attraction catapults them towards a potential love. It is, for the most part, a love story in the vein of any other; the most distinguishing feature being that twice Academy Award #nommed director, Todd Hayes (Far From Heaven, I'm Not There) and his leading ladies have achieved it so elegantly.
It is deeply atmospheric and wonderfully intimate; shot through windows, in mirrored reflections, from behind cars or otherwise from a distance. We peer into tender moments, feeling almost intrusive by watching. When we do get close up, the camera pans across slowly before we reach the subjects of a scene, almost as if to avoid being noticed by making too sudden a movement. It makes for extremely sensual viewing. Twinkly jazz piano and soaring strings soundtrack a script that is refreshingly quiet. As in life, what is left unsaid is often more powerful than what is, and Carol appreciates this in abundance. It gives the film maturity and sophistication, with a simplicity of story and dialogue that mimics the clean lines and textured clothing of the characters.
Blanchett is spectacular as the title character, reprising the skill that won her a Best Actress Academy #gong for Blue Jasmine in 2014. She is statuesque, suave and commanding. Her voice takes on a resonant purr, seducing us (and Therese) with each well-placed line. Anyone would wish to be the object of her longing. As the younger, more naive of the pair, Mara also excels. With Audrey Hepburn-ian poise, she pads her way from submissive store girl to a strident, passionate woman. To our total absorption, they bring us into their relationship and carry us effortlessly through their respective conflicts and triumphs. With it, their award noms are virtually guaranteed.
Blanchett is spectacular as the title character, reprising the skill that won her a Best Actress Academy #gong for Blue Jasmine in 2014. She is statuesque, suave and commanding. Her voice takes on a resonant purr, seducing us (and Therese) with each well-placed line. Anyone would wish to be the object of her longing. As the younger, more naive of the pair, Mara also excels. With Audrey Hepburn-ian poise, she pads her way from submissive store girl to a strident, passionate woman. To our total absorption, they bring us into their relationship and carry us effortlessly through their respective conflicts and triumphs. With it, their award noms are virtually guaranteed.
If there was any criticism of the piece, it would perhaps be the speed of the film, which will be too steady and patient for some. But the pace is the essence of the film and without it we wouldn't have the time and space to enjoy the remarkable performances of Blanchett and Mara; nor drink in the stunning 50's setting and appreciate the allure of such a grand yet pure love affair.
Go. Enjoy a modern classic story, that not only reflects what we all go through as we piece together a relationship, but also our thankfully changed times, where sexuality is incidental to the telling of a love story between two women.
Go. Enjoy a modern classic story, that not only reflects what we all go through as we piece together a relationship, but also our thankfully changed times, where sexuality is incidental to the telling of a love story between two women.