Review of Carol (2015) by Journeyinfilm — 01 Dec 2015

Carol, writes Patricia Highsmith, “would be in a thousand cities, a thousand houses, in foreign lands where they would go together, in heaven and in hell.” Carol, the latest film by Todd Haynes is starting to cause a rousing stir in cinemas around the world. Breath after breath, she will find home in many cities, countries and eventually our homes. She’s a ripple whose reach grows stronger with each pulse. An embrace between lovers, reunited — ever tighter. A spark set to a fire cracker. A slow burn. She invites us — cineastes, casual movie goers, humans from all walks of life — to see her, to feel her, to be absorbed, enveloped and be reminded of how movies used to move us, shake us in our cores and make our hearts flutter. In a World where we find ourselves more connected to one another than ever before, and yet even further removed from each other, we can still experience and share the gift of Carol.

Today we are flooded with content, especially an endless stream of movies. We consume films differently than we used to. A trip to the cinema is a rare occurrence. However, we still remember films from another time. We may or may not have seen them, but we would at least know what they are. At least someone would have told us at one point or another that it is a masterpiece. It becomes one when the talent, the means and the circumstances involved in the production all fall into place. There are no shortcomings. The acting, the writing, the directing, the production values, music…everything works in concert to achieve a perfect balance. It’s a rarity to see this achieved today. We can easily pick up on the shortcomings of most movies. The storytelling can be lazy. An over-reliance on CGI attempts to cover plot holes. The acting is wooden…But Carol makes me want to revisit her as soon as the credits have rolled, and I am about to see her for the fifth time.

It is not just Blanchett and Mara who are luminous, sumptuously playing off each other like partners engaged in committing the perfect crime. The supporting players are excellent. Kyle Chandler welcomes sympathy as Carol’s husband Harge who, despite and air of selfishness and concern for his own reputation, tries his utmost to keep his family unit together. Sarah Paulson is unforgettable as Abby, Carol’s childhood friend and ex, who chooses to remain in Carol’s orbit, to be there as her best friend, at all times, be they joyful or devastating. The rest of the cast, appearing in minor roles or as extras, many from Cincinnati, shed artifice and appear as real people, blending perfectly into the world of the film. Judy Becker’s production design supplies post-war austerity, livid colors and authentic detail while Sandy Powell’s costumes feel unique, stunning but also timely and lived-in.

Shot on Super 16mm and lensed by Ed Lachman, Carol pays homage to great photography of the 50s. Shots through windows, condensation, reflection, light- and shadow-play evoke the work of Saul Leiter. Photographers like Ruth Orkin, Vivian Maier and Helen Levitt, among others, were also major influences. Lachman and Haynes also referenced Michelangelo Antonioni’s L’Avventura, L’Eclisse and La Notte for their use of abstract and spatial relationships to enter their characters’ minds. George Stevens’ A Place in the Sun and David Lean’s A Brief Encounter informed the point of view of the most vulnerable lover. Even Carol’s editor Affonso Gonçalves shows restraint, lingering on silences, stoking our desire to witness a declaration of love between the heroines, just as Carter Burwell’s sublime score swirls around them. It is as if Carol is a revelatory time capsule, drawing us deeper into her mystery and secrets, where a simple act of love comes at a staggering cost.