Review of Carol (1970) by K Nife C — 04 Apr 2016

This was the third highly-acclaimed, period piece concerning women's issues from 2015 that I watched (the other two being "The Danish Girl" and "Brooklyn"). To make that an umbrella of the films sells them a bit short, admittedly.

I think they would all three make great curriculum for a women's studies course, and they are enlightening to the layperson for the historical mores and societal perspectives they portray. With that aside, I didn't like this film all that much either.

Carter Burwell's score sounded like a mashup of the score to The Room, Naquoyqatsi, and Burn After Reading (I thought it was meant to be a joke at first). Rooney Mara is a wooden actress, not quite as bad as her sister, but utterly unconvincing in the role of a young lesbian discovering her sexuality.

Much like her character, she doesn't seem to think very hard about her actions, and is always directed around by someone else. Blanchett does slightly better, but still seems like a ham. There are a lot of scenes of people overacting indignantly and storming off.

After one boring car trip over Christmas, they truly are in love, and there's boobs. This movie is perfectly made for young women who like putting instagram filters on their selfies, and getting bobbed hair cuts.

Then fiddling on the phone for awhile and acting like the world is ending every time someone they kinda like walks away. Yes, it is infuriating that a mother would have her child taken away simply because of being a lesbian, and it is even more infuriating that she is pressured to concede to her husband simply to maintain custody, but I don't think the person who played "Irina Spalko" in Indiana Jones 4 was the best choice to bring that emotionally wrought role to life.

And that other dude looks like the Rocketeer.