​FILMS

carol

All my Christmases have come at once with Carol.

2016 review number 15:

Carol: (Drama/Romance): 85 out of 100: Here is a tale that Australia's Reverend Fred Nile will experience a few awkward moments. It's a beautiful, heartwarming story about two people in love, and to Mr. Nile's displeasure, it involves two women. Who knows if Mr. Nile has questioned the morality of Todd Haynes' majestic adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's 1955 novel The Price of Salt in 1955? He definitely won't be seeing it. The world would be a poorer place without beautiful examples such as this one where two people share their love regardless of their gender.  

 

A young aspiring photographer, Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara), meets older woman Carol Aird (Cate Blanchett) while she is performing her duties as a shop assistant. Carol is going through a difficult divorce with Harge (Kyle Chandler) and the custody of their child, Rindy (Sadie/KK Heim) is at stake. Therese dreams of a better life, and even though her boyfriend Richard (Jake Lacy) wants to marry her, she is bewitched by Carol and soon accepts her advances. Complications arise when Harge and Richard discover their affair. Carol's best friend Abby Gerhard (Sarah Paulson) also contributes to the dilemma of the relationship.

 

Haynes has filmed this like a 1950s romantic film with the framing and pacing reminiscent of the genre from this era. Some might even suggest that it has a dreamy quality to it. If it wasn't for the nudity and the familiarity of the actors, it would be easy to mistake this movie as one made over 60 years ago. The story is set in the early 1950s and the attention to detail is brilliant, ranging from the elaborate costume design to the breathtaking production design, all superbly lit in its exquisite cinematography. 

 

Blanchett and Mara are worthy of the accolades they are receiving. Their chemistry is so genuine that it's easy to believe that their characters could fall for each other. Whether through gestures or dialogue, these two actresses exhibit the passions and insecurities their respective characters possess. The script enables the whole cast to fully explore the emotions that their characters are experiencing. It's a fascinating character study that propels the movie to brilliance.

 

The music score by the Coen Brothers' regular composer Carter Burwell, is an added charm for it highlights the ups and downs of the story and characters. It's surprising that this is his first Oscar nomination for he has been consistently and expertly scoring movies since 1984. 

 

It's a shame that some moviegoers restrict themselves to seeing certain genres because they will miss a striking and beautiful movie like this one. It's a wonderful representation of the romantic drama so if you want to convince those fussy friends to visit this genre, you can help change their opinion by taking them to see Carol.

 

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

(118 mins)

Parental advice: Nudity, sex scene and adult themes

Additional scene during or after credits: No

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH3zcuRQXNo (Movie trailer)

 

(Reviewed on Wednesday 27th January, 2016)

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