Carol is a story that took a long time to get to the big screen. Based on Patricia Highsmith‘s 1952 semi-autobiographical novel The Price of Salt, the first draft of the script by Phyllis Nagy was not written until 1996 and it was finally filmed in 2014.
The film explores the relationship between Carol and Therese in 1950’s America, when women were housewives controlled by their husbands and being a lesbian was classed as immoral. Carol questions how far one can compromise their values when being asked to choose between what they want, what society wants them to be, and who they actually are.
Directed by Todd Haynes and starring Cate Blanchett as Carol and Rooney Mara as Therese, Carol is full of impeccable acting and direction. They say a picture is worth a thousand words and so is an expression from a great actor. Dialogue is used sparingly and Blanchett and Rooney manage to convey much intimacy and intention without exchanging many words.
Blanchett plays Carol sophisticated and strong, her performance slightly reminiscent of movie great Lauren Bacall, and Mara plays it beautiful, young and full of naive hope while falling head over heels in love for the first time.
Kyle Chandler as Carol’s husband Harge perfectly captures a desperate man, just having lost the love of his life and who is willing to do whatever he needs to cling on to his family.
The storytelling is tempered and restrained and never melodramatic, giving just enough drama to tell the story with sincerity, while the powerful imagery and exquisite attention to detail for the 50s era help to make this film feel like it runs for one hour instead of two. Everything is deliberate and measured, careful attention has been poured into every scene.
Also starring Sarah Paulson, Jake Lacy and Cory Michael Smith, Carol is a beautiful romance with stunning costumes and a great soundtrack.
Reviewed by Ceri Horner
Twitter: @CeriHorner
Rating out of 10: 10
Carol will screen again on 24 October 2015 at part of the Adelaide Film Festival, running 15-25 October 2015.
More News
