Not often do films receive a 10-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. But Carol is one of the most artistically brilliant works ever made. Cate Blanchett’s performance is astonishingly good—and yet Rooney Mara’s performance is somehow equally special. Their chemistry is mesmerizing; you can really feel the tension slowly build between their characters like electricity. But despite the likes of Blanchett (who became one of my favorite actors ever due to this film), Mara, Kyle Chandler, and Sarah Paulson, Carol is not a film that relies upon its ridiculously talented acting ensemble. It is simply just too consummate in its greatness. As far as I’m concerned, Carol is a virtually flawless work of art.
Let me start with the set and production design. With the story taking place in 1950s New York, Carol is like a time machine. Insofar as my extensive research says, it captures its setting so extremely well that it is almost indistinguishable from the actual 1950s Brooklyn era. The furniture, makeup, and hairstyling are perfect. The script is magical—while sticking to the setting’s vernacular endearingly—and the words come out of the characters’ mouths with a sense of timing and delicacy that shines. Edward Lachman’s cinematography is breathtaking, with every single shot proving to be marvelous in its own right. Todd Haynes’s directing is careful and focused. Carter Burwell’s original score and the soundtrack provide incredible music that compliments the film splendidly. And so on.
And let me add that this is the only romance film with which I’ve encountered such a profound experience. I’m usually not into romance on screen. But this is so artful. It is candid. It truly feels real. It’s also crazy that this is a lesbian love story unfolding between two heterosexual actors. It further testifies to their greatness. You can see the emotion every time they touch each other, even with a slight graze. You can feel the desire in the gazes they cast upon each other. It’s hard to stop admiring the convincing body language, expressions, and gestures. I love every aspect of Carol—from Blanchett and Mara’s acting to the subtle little things like the costume designing. I don’t often notice such things. But this monolith is unlike any other film. Carol transcends all expectations. To me, it is one of the greatest films of all time.
Rating: 10/10
Looks so good.
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Def recommend!
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Brilliance
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Your description — and your praise — actually rouse my interest in this film, which didn’t interest me at all when it appeared in 2015. That was a year in which gay themes were coming to the commercial forefront, which was all very well. But the fuss seemed constantly to center on the Lesbian relationship, which didn’t interest me. Now I am: now I want to see these performances!
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Thank you so much! That’s always my ultimate goal—to really light a fire in viewers enough to where my reviews are actually making an impact (at least when it comes to content that deserves it). And I totally get what you’re saying. What some factions of the LGBTQ community and homophobic people alike when it comes to film is that many of them will hyper-fixate on the LGBTQ aspect, and it frustrates me because most brilliant films that happened to feature LGBTQ themes are much more than a one-dimensional film. Another good case for me was Moonlight. It was such a profound film with so many aspects—social, economic, racial, and others—but when Oscar season came around, people acted as if it was merely a film about being gay or a love story (and it certainly wasn’t a love story—more of a coming-of-age drama), you know? It’s a disservice to LGBTQ art, in my opinion.
Anyway, please let me know what you think if you get a chance to see Carol. It’s on Netflix! Cheers!
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Also interesting — based on the descriptions at Oscar time, I’d thought of “Moonlight,” not as a gay story, but as a Black gay story; the coming-of-age aspect of it didn’t become clear until I read later commentaries. (There’s something _else_ I haven’t seen!)
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Interesting! Fun fact: Barry Jenkins actually wrote Moonlight about his own life, and he happens to not be gay. Insofar as my research suggests, it seems like that aspect was kind of tacked on to help underscore the difficulties he endured as a creative, nerdy, artistic black man in that environment (as oppose to being the defining aspect of the film, as was portrayed retroactively by the media). Anyway, it’s one of my favorite films ever—and I personally consider it to be the best indie film ever made—so I def recommend!
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very interesting thoughts
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😎
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Here’s my review of it, in case you were curious:
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https://lukeatkins.com/2019/10/17/moonlight-2016/
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Needless to say, I am a big proponent of the LGBTQ community and LGBTQ content in the entertainment industry! Glad there’s some really special, historic works like Carol, Moonlight, Call Me By Your Name, etc.
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Ha love it! She’s mine too, honestly.
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Unfortunately, I am too busy with school. Thank you though!
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Fun fact: Carol was filmed in my hometown of Cincinnati, OH! Because a lot of the architecture here is very similar to Brooklyn / New York, where this story is set. A breath-taking work of art. Well-written!
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Very interesting! I was wondering why they chose Cincinnati. Now it all makes sense. Thanks for letting me know!
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