Carol Review

Starring: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Kyle Chandler

Carol is a surprisingly unusual film. I've known about the film since its debut at the Cannes Film Festival in spring 2015. It instantly became an awards contender, yet this past week it missed out on a coveted best picture nomination. Carol tells the story of a young naive woman named Therese (Mara) who is swept off her feet by Carol, an older married socialite. What starts out as a companionship ends up being a romantic relationship. For a movie that could so easily be called a "lesbian" movie, Carol is surprisingly about so much more. In a year where so many movies (Room, Brooklyn, The Danish Girl) have tried to convey the emotions a woman feels, Carol brings you as far into the mind of a woman without becoming an adult Inside Out. For these two women, it is more than just a lesbian relationship. Therese needs Carol because Carol is the only person who understands her. Not even her boyfriend can do that. And Carol has what police call a "patterned behavior" because she can't stand the life she's been thrust into. It's a slow burn, and it's not perfect. But the skill of Mara and Blanchett, and the technical prowess the music, sets, and costumes provide make it worth it.

Both Mara and Blanchett are nominated for Oscars. Cate Blanchett is one of my favorite actresses, and she truly proves that she is one of the most versatile actors working today. It's also interesting that while she has such a commanding presence onscreen, Mara works with subtleties. Carol says everything on her mind, but you have to read Therese's face. Rooney Mara can be intense (ie The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), but she shows her talent in her ability to hold back. She has a life that's worth living, but she just isn't happy. While Carol has what doctors and therapists call a "condition", Therese is just swept up in the sheer mystique of this older woman. From their first meeting, there is just something mystical about the way Carol walks that pulls her in. And this is no love story, because both of the characters find problems in each other and they do not sort them out properly. Carol invites Therese on a road trip so she doesn't have to be alone for Christmas. Her husband is divorcing her after she cheated with her best friend, and he seeks to take their daughter. Carol's relationship with her daughter is one of the only way the viewer sees her shortcomings. While the film is split between Therese and Carol's perspectives, it is definitely skewed towards the former. And she sees no faults in her lover, so the audience really doesn't either. But her proclamation of love towards her daughter and then reluctance to even care for her gives insight into how she will soon fail Therese.

Though I really enjoyed the performances (Sarah Paulson is also great as Carol's best friend/former mistress), and the script is great, there are a few things I didn't like. The first meeting (pictured above) between Carol and Therese was incredibly strange. Therese works in a department store, and Carol is buying a doll for her daughter for Christmas. Carol definitely asks more questions than one would deem appropriate, yet Therese doesn't catch on. When Carol exits, she leaves behind her gloves, forcing Therese to call management to send them back. Carol calls and asks to speak to the employee who found them, and upon "realizing" it is Therese, she asks her to dinner to express thanks. The whole thing seems fine to Therese, but it makes Carol come off as a stalker. The way she talks and the way she acts is like she saw Therese and was attracted, and she will stop at nothing to get her way. While this allows Mara to act beautifully naive, I actually would call Carol a predator because of how forced their interactions are. This never leaves your mind, and for me, it made their whole relationship seem incredibly awkward. It's also dreadfully slow. I love slow movies, especially if there is substance. But I really needed some action about 70 minutes into the film.

Carol is definitely a movie to see if you like prestige pics with great acting. I don't think it's a real contender in any awards except Rooney Mara for Best Supporting Actress and maybe the costumes. But do not walk into this thinking it's an epic romance, which is sadly what it's advertised as. It's far from comfortable viewing (in the sense that it's almost boring to watch), but it's a very interesting take on the female psyche. Truly I think it may represent why a lesbian relationship in that time period would not work out. People were just different.

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