Carol

[kevinknapman]

Based on the novel The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith, Carol is the story of the relationship between a young department store clerk and an older, unhappily married, soon to be divorced, woman.

Pretty much top of my must see list since it played at Cannes and another return to the era that director Todd Haynes has already impressively captured with Far From Heaven and Mildred Pierce, Carol is a sumptuous and deeply satisfying film from one of American cinema's finest directors.

Beautifully shot by Haynes regular DoP Edward Lachman it brings the 50s to life in precise and glorious detail. All set to a glorious Carter Burwell score.

Thankfully it's a film that is not only visually splendid but emotionally involving too. Much of that is due to two outstanding performances from Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara with undeniable chemistry that makes their relationship as convincing as it is inevitable. Blanchett delivers a less obvious and more subtle turn in the title role than the award-winning one she gave in Blue Jasmine but this feels like a much more accomplished performance. Though Mara is just as compelling as the naive and vulnerable Therese.
Excellent support also from Kyle Chandler and Sarah Paulson as Carol's husband and best friend. As a Sleater-Kinney fan I was also thrilled by an, all too brief, appearance from Carrie Brownstein.

The kind of film likely to feature heavily come awards season (watch it hoover up those production & set design, costumes and hair & make up awards), Carol deserves all the attention it's likely to get. An extraordinarily beautiful piece of filmmaking.

Also interesting to see this around the same time that Brief Encounter is rereleased. In an obvious homage to the 1945 film Carol opens in a similar fashion. Two lovers in the middle of an emotional encounter are interrupted by an acquaintance of one of them, who remains oblivious to the relationship before them. The film then goes back to detail the events leading up to that moment. Luckily Carol doesn't suffer at all in comparison to that David Lean classic.

[prettyxcool]

Saw this tonight at Odeon Greenwich. Met up with Beate who was at the front of the queue as is usual The Times lady took ages to work out Beate tickets, finally scanning it and it beeped so she was happy, then dropping the leaflets about the films, several times, all the while the queue got longer and longer, then finally, she asked everyone to follow her up the stairs to the Screen, and it was like a scene in Pied Piper, as Beate remarked, as the queue snaked up the stairs. So we formed another orderly queue outside the screen. Finally, she let us in and collected everyone's tickets, but then a long wait for the film to start, presumably to wait for people to p*rchase their drinks and food etc, as finally, they all came in with their purchases, and the film started, 10 minutes late.

The film is indeed, beautiful, mesmerising and engrossing however, painfully slow to the point of dull. Do not watch when you are tired, as the music and slow scenes are very relaxing and can send you to sleep (as it did the guy who sat next to me), but the story is engrossing for me and the film is so beautiful to watch. Cate Blanchett is stunning. A subtle, restrained, and tender love story, but throw in the tortured husband and it is quite sad. Lots of quiet scenes through car windows, close ups and lingering shots. 6/10

[Beate]

I was too tired yesterday to review.

The Times+ Lady was nice but inexperienced and totally gave up after she managed to scan us in, unless she did it later. She didn't have a flute in her hand but I was still funny how we all had to traipse after her up the stairs to the screening room.

PXC has already said it - this is slow. I couldn't believe how time was not flying! Of the three of us, OH seemed the most awake. It was good in an understated way and very atmospheric (I just loved how elegant they all were), but unfortunately I had read the title card and was waiting ages for the "strong sex" it had promised! Carol's speech in the solicitor's office at the end was very powerful and emotional - she always seemed so composed before that. All performances were very good.

But what kind of a first name is Harge? And why did Carol feel the need to let Terese know her name again - she knows it, she's just mailed you your gloves, you dopey woman!

7/10

[kevinknapman]

But what kind of a first name is Harge?

Also Rindy. Who knew what was going through Patricia Highsmith's mind when she came up with those.

[Jgw]

Just seen preview of Carol at Odeon Liverpool. Leaving aside the slow dialogue, pretentious in places, totally unrealistic scenarios (a wealthy chauffeur driven man, in a hurry to catch a plane, goes under a sink to do some plumbing??) this is a story about a wealthy mature woman who knows what she wants, impresses a very much younger innocent shopgirl with her money - she came in to b*y a doll and then pa*d for a full train set without even turning to look at it. She encourages the girl to get into her flash car to sample highlife of restaurants and hotels. Young girl needed camera, Carol fixed it for her. I honestly felt that this is only being called a "love" story because they are both female. At the end I really didn't care whether they got back together or not, but did wonder whether The Graduate should be redone with Benjamin going back to Mrs Robinson. Wouldn't recommend seeing it.

[alythonian]

It is slow to the point of....zzzzzz
We stayed awake unlike the bloke along from us who was sound asleep.
The dialogue is clever but again slow. The sets are beautiful and both actresses give it their all.

[McG]

Saw this in Glasgow last night thanks to scootermcc and yinster. We weren't able to sit in our usual seats as folk had been allowed in to screening room early, probably because the Odeon Quay has been revamped and there are now no seats to wait in.
The film is atmospheric and 1950s costumes and scenery are beautifully shot. I was totally mesmerised by how much Rooney Mara looked like the young Audrey Hepburn and wonder if that was a deliberate intention. Acting from both leading ladies was good.
Having said all the above, the film is not one that I would recommend to others as I think they would be bored waiting for something to happen. I didn't not enjoy "Carol" but find it hard to say what I did enjoy about it.
Marks 5/10

[The Sparrow]

I was too tired yesterday to review.

The Times+ Lady was nice but inexperienced and totally gave up after she managed to scan us in, unless she did it later. She didn't have a flute in her hand but I was still funny how we all had to traipse after her up the stairs to the screening room.

PXC has already said it - this is slow. I couldn't believe how time was not flying! Of the three of us, OH seemed the most awake. It was good in an understated way and very atmospheric (I just loved how elegant they all were), but unfortunately I had read the title card and was waiting ages for the "strong sex" it had promised! Carol's speech in the solicitor's office at the end was very powerful and emotional - she always seemed so composed before that. All performances were very good.

But what kind of a first name is Harge? And why did Carol feel the need to let Terese know her name again - she knows it, she's just mailed you your gloves, you dopey woman!

7/10

I think that was probably

Spoiler

Show

when Carol went down on Therese.

[The Sparrow]

I rather enjoyed this although I agree it was extremely slow.

However, I might have enjoyed it more had the lovely people I chatted to before the film hadn't then chatted to each other throughout the whole flaming film!!

[Beate]

I was too tired yesterday to review.

The Times+ Lady was nice but inexperienced and totally gave up after she managed to scan us in, unless she did it later. She didn't have a flute in her hand but I was still funny how we all had to traipse after her up the stairs to the screening room.

PXC has already said it - this is slow. I couldn't believe how time was not flying! Of the three of us, OH seemed the most awake. It was good in an understated way and very atmospheric (I just loved how elegant they all were), but unfortunately I had read the title card and was waiting ages for the "strong sex" it had promised! Carol's speech in the solicitor's office at the end was very powerful and emotional - she always seemed so composed before that. All performances were very good.

But what kind of a first name is Harge? And why did Carol feel the need to let Terese know her name again - she knows it, she's just mailed you your gloves, you dopey woman!

7/10

I think that was probably

Spoiler

Show

when Carol went down on Therese.

I know but I took forever to get to this point in the story!