CAROL Review

There is something to the quietness of Carol. There is nothing especially profound about what the film has to say on the surface or what it does with a rather straightforward story, but more the suggestions below the surface that crawl into the way this straightforward story is conveyed. Director Todd Haynes (I'm Not There, Far From Heaven) is not one to deliver straightforward though, in fact he is more inclined to get to the heart of what makes something or someone tick than he is to simply adhere to what is expected. The same could be said of his latest. And so, while at the outset, Carol seems to be little more than a story of the forbidden love between two women in the 1950's there is clearly many more, larger implications of the type of world we lived and still live in as well as how things have or have not changed as much as most of us would like to think they have. Haynes is a deliberate filmmaker and one that gives us still moments and slight observations that culminate after being strolled out one by one into something immeasurably affecting. That is to say that while I watched the events of Carol unfold I couldn't necessarily connect with or understand exactly what the film was going for or why it seemed to be deliberately unfolding at a pace not intended to entertain, but to incite contemplation. It is a film that wants to move you to the edge of your seat not through the tactics of great tension or breathtaking stunts, but more through the unknown that is life and the uneasiness that comes with uncertainty. There is a steady truth to the film that it never wavers from. The film never feels the need to dip itself into more dramatic waters simply for the sake of something happening, but rather it is a film that holds steady to what it values most about its characters and the silent tragedies they must forever keep to themselves. Again, it is this quietness of both the film and its characters that is consistently emphasized to the point that once the film begins to draw to a close and the greater ramifications of the life these characters choose are realized that it becomes all the more clear we, the viewer, are truly rewarded for both ours and the films practice of patience.

Full Trailer for CAROL Starring Cate Blanchett

After drawing huge praise at Canne earlier this year and getting a second wave of unanimous-seeming applause this past weekend with Telluride it seems Carol is poised to be the film to beat this Oscar season. Coming from director Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven, I'm Not There) this isn't much of a surprise and given the lush cast of talented performers it isn't difficult to believe there is something great here. That said, Blanchett does seem like the obvious choice for something like this and while her performance is no doubt stunning and it would be wrong not to cast a talented actress simply because it seems like the obvious choice it makes the first impression of the film seem a little tired. What saves this trailer from looking like little more than just a pretentious and obvious Oscar-contender dealing in white people problems is the presence of Rooney Mara. Mara made a name for herself by collaborating with David Fincher on The Social Network and then headlining his version of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but has since chosen her roles sparingly, popping up in small but solid dramas such as Ain't Them Bodies Saints, Side Effects and Her. Mara is more than equipped to convey the emotional devastation that typically comes with a Haynes production and while Blanchett will likely receive another Best Actress nomination for her titular role I am looking forward to Carol not only for the beautiful lighting and period aesthetic that long-time Haynes collaborator Edward Lachman has seemed to capture, but for Mara's performance to hopefully position her as the next obvious choice when it comes to great roles for women. Carol also stars Kyle Chandler, Sarah Paulson, Jake Lacy, Cory Michael Smith and opens on November 20th.