Directed by : Todd Haynes
Written by : Phyllis Nagy
Starring : Rooney Mara, Cate Blanchett, Kyle Chandler, Sarah Paulson
Release Date : November 20, 2015
If you are looking for a traditionally told romantic story, then "Carol" is not for you. This is one of those movies that lean more on the more artistic side of film making story telling, and you might just find it a little bit pretentious. I know I did. The premise of the story is technically interesting and thought provoking, but the direction of the movie just didn't work for me.
A lot of the movie is done with a lot of nuances, subtexts, and pretenses. For me that translated to scenes that meander way too long, and constantly takes its time to establish the mood and tone of the movie over and over and over again. For well over half the movie, I was simply frustrated and bored out of my mind. I understood the thematic point this story was trying to make, but I just wished it wasn't putting me to sleep.
This movie was riding on three factors. Rooney Mara, Cate Blanchett, and their unconventional relationship. Unsurprisingly Mara and Blanchett play their characters really well, but it's just too bad that I did not buy their romance at all one bit. I get that they were really attracted to each other, but I'm not convinced of their love. It was like some fairy tale romance that we would deride other movies for. The most incredible thing about their relationship is that the movie manages to be heavy-handed and obvious about it, but at the same time makes all the effort in the world to try and be coy about it throughout the majority of the story. It's obvious they are lesbians from the beginning, the movie doesn't have to treat it like it's a secret to us!
If lesbians want to champion a movie released in 2015 that has a strong leading actress representing their sexual preference, "Carol" is not it. I would suggest taking a look at Lily Tomlin in "Grandma" instead.
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