Carol (2015) [HD]
Drama | Romance

Living in a 1950s society that considers lesbian romance taboo, two women from disparate backgrounds -- young store clerk Therese Belivet and wealthy socialite Carol Aird -- develop an attachment to each other that ultimately turns passionate.

Storyline: In an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's seminal novel The Price of Salt, CAROL follows two women from very different backgrounds who find themselves in an unexpected love affair in 1950s New York. As conventional norms of the time challenge their undeniable attraction, an honest story emerges to reveal the resilience of the heart in the face of change. A young woman in her 20s, Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara), is a clerk working in a Manhattan department store and dreaming of a more fulfilling life when she meets Carol (Cate Blanchett), an alluring woman trapped in a loveless, convenient marriage. As an immediate connection sparks between them, the innocence of their first encounter dims and their connection deepens. While Carol breaks free from the confines of marriage, her husband (Kyle Chandler) begins to question her competence as a mother as her involvement with Therese and close relationship with her best friend Abby (Sarah Paulson) come to light. Written by The Weinstein Company

Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, March 10, 2016 The concept for Director Todd Haynes' (Far from Heaven) and Screenwriter Phyllis Nagy's Carol can be traced back to the 1952 book The Price of Salt by the late Patricia Highsmith, who published that novel under a pseudonym and whose other notable works include Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley. Though it's taken more than six decades, the film has finally earned a screen adaptation and arrives when issues of nontraditional sexuality dominate the headlines and popular culture. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, including nods for its leading ladies, Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, as well as Screenwriter Phyllis Nagy, Cinematographer Edward Lachman, Costume Designer Sandy Powell, and Composer Carter Burwell.

Carol (Blanchett) is a married mother of one who is in the middle of a difficult divorce. Therese (Mara) is a department store clerk, an aspiring photographer, and not particularly interested in pursuing any romantic relationships, at least not with the young men in whose company she finds herself. Carol and Therese meet at the store and, over time, develop into rather close acquaintances and friends. In an effort to flee the pains and stress of her divorce, Carol decides to take a westward trip and invites Therese along, allowing them to develop a closer bond and, eventually, admit their deeper feelings for one another.

It would be fair to call Carol a "delicate" film, crafted with, indeed, a delicacy befitting its deeply versed characters and setting, but it probably wouldn't be fair to label its story as "delicate." The movie builds its arc through a harsh-edged narrative of family dysfunction and a fight for custody with its then-scandalous notion of lesbianism and sexual experimentation driving that tussle between mother and father with a young child caught in the middle. The budding romantic relationship between Carol and Therese is the more gently, affectionally developed barrier that separates, but doesn't distance, Carol from her domestic problems. That relationship, however, is certainly the movie's centerpiece, allowing it to more deeply explore the characters, Carol in particular, and more so than were she to run away with another man rather than another woman. That added layer of intrigue, shock (for its timeframe), and scandal (again for its time) allows for a complex examination of a character-in-time as Carol deals with the crumble of her traditional relationship and the burgeoning feelings she explores with her newfound partner and, eventually, lover. There's plenty of depth on the other side, too, particularly as it relates to Therese's youthful innocence, which is often contrasted against Carol's life experiences, both on the road and in bed.

The movie is arguably more a technical masterpiece than it is a narrative masterpiece. While the story is satisfyingly engaging and tangibly complex on its emotional front, there's no mistaking the movie's gorgeous assemblage that will leave cinephiles awestruck. The picture was shot on Super 16, which gives it both a moderately grainy veneer but also an accentuating softness that not only amplifies its period feel but also heightens intimacy with the material. Colors are also not pushed very hard. The palette presents a soft and slightly muted scheme, one that, like the film texture, offers more an embrace of the material than a straight-edge reproduction of it. Likewise, score is softly accentuating and extraordinarily complimentary. Production design is terrific, transporting audiences to a bygone era filled with tactile wonders that the film uses, again, in exquisite complimentary form. Todd Haynes' and Cinematographer Edward Lachman's lensing enjoys a blend of intimate characterization and suggestive photography by way of regularly perfect frame juxtaposition and placement. Carol is well worth a watch -- a must see, even -- even for those who may take issue with its story. It's simply too beautiful a film from purely a stylistic perspective to miss.

Carol tells a strongly developed and well characterized story of life and love. The narrative combines harsh realities with tender intimacies, supported by terrific lead performances and amazing technical assemblage. Anchor Bay's Blu-ray release of Carol features standout video and good lossless audio. Supplements are informative. Highly recommended.

[CSW] -2.8- This reviewer said it better than I could:
Carol is absolutely stunning in all senses of the word. A masterclass of powerful restraint. Both Blanchett & Mara are exquisite; their sensual connection is overwhelming. Support from Paulson & Chandler is solid, sympathetic. Cinematography uses street photography images to conjure up post-WWII New York. Sandy Powell's costumes are spot-on as always. Carter Burwell's score mixes well with off-beat standards of the period. We are transported back to the early 1950s - gritty & anxious - not the rose-colored memories of our Disney-fied youth. Nagy's script strips the sometimes-plodding Highsmith novel to its basic elements & events move very quickly with all the extraneous material purged. As a film it works better than the best-seller on which it is based. Oscar voters will have a hard time figuring out which actress to honor. Of course, if this were a straight romance, both would be nominated in non-competing gender-separated lead categories & both would likely win. This is an embarrassment of riches, as they say, since both Blanchett & Mara are giving career-best performances. This is the peak of director Haynes' career, focusing on the strong emotions evoked when one first falls in love. No political agenda. No cynicism. The only cinematic "trick" is the use of a structural formula lifted from "Brief Encounter"; it works, adding an element of mystery to the proceedings. He has left his ego at the door and put all his skills to the service of the story. Blanchett & husband Andrew Upton are listed as producers on the film. She has been attached to this project for almost ten years, since she first discovered Highsmith's work while working on The Talented Mr. Ripley. She stuck with it through cast & director changes & we should all thank her for her perseverance, along with the folks at Killer Films. For just under $12 million they have delivered a masterpiece that rivals any $150 million extravaganza, and will probably last longer in the hearts of its viewers.

Showtime (HD) - No D-Box


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