By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.5 cats
Director: Todd Haynes
Country: france, united_kingdom, united_states
Year: 2015
Running time: 118
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2402927/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Bruce says: “CAROL, based on the autobiographically inspired Sapphic novel, The Price of Salt, by Patricia Highsmith, is terrific. That said, it should be noted that here form triumphs magnificently over content, rarely the case for me. The story is interesting but not totally compelling. Rooney Mara plays Therese Belivet, a shopgirl who suddenly has a strange awakening when she waits on wealthy matron Carol Aird (Cate Blanchett). After making a purchase, Carol leaves her gloves behind. Therese, with a little detective work, tracks Carol down to return the gloves. One thing leads to another…as it should. The other key characters include Carol’s socialite ex-lover Abby (Sarah Paulson), Carol’s somewhat tolerant but ultimately angry husband Harge (Kyle Chandler), and Therese’s confused boyfriend Richard (Jake Lacy).
“Carol’s husband, aware of her interest in other women, is content to maintain the status quo as long as her desires remain hidden. When Carol persists in her romantic pursuit, her marriage and the custody of her child are in jeopardy.
“Primarily it is the mood and atmosphere of the film that persist in my mind. The production design and Ed Lachman’s cinematography contribute marvelously to the feeling of moral constriction. I still have fabulous images of Cate Blanchett in my head: the casual, less-than-delicate way she flips her hair; the transmission of pain and longing written on her face; her cool reserve and gracious warmth interplaying with one another. Sarah Paulson is particularly effective as Carol’s ex-lover and confidante. Rooney Mara is good but her performance did by no means overwhelm me at it did the jury at Cannes where she won a Best Actress Award.
“The men in CAROL end up in the thankless roles, an appropriate twist for a film that is totally focused on women’s issues and how, given the place and time, women unquestionably were looked down upon, trivialized and marginalized. Comparing, CAROL with FAR FROM HEAVEN, one cannot help but wonder if Todd Haynes has made the same film twice. Such a thought is not an indictment, just an observation. Other directors have revisited familiar territory with much less success. What the stories share in common is their repressive time period; the accompanying social injustice; and the sharply defined, narrow place to pigeonhole women….a few steps beyond barefoot and pregnant. 4.5 cats
“(CAROL screened at the 2015 London film Festival.)”