User reviews

I loved this film for the subtleties. Lots of lingering, carefully framed shots and closeups. Lots of quiet scenes. Lots conveyed through looks and innuendo.

Rooney and Cate captured what it's like to be nervous yet excited while falling in love. It felt real. It felt like two people unsure of themselves, offering up just a bit of their true feelings at a time and waiting for the other person to do the same before revealing more.

Kyle Chandler's performance hasn't been commented on as much as the leads, but he was just as excellent. He played the part of tortured husband well without coming off as a mere villain. I sympathized with him and even understood where he was coming from.

I thought the film captured the time period in a very unique way. Nothing was overtly flashy or Normal Rockwell 50s, and at times it even felt gritty compared to most depictions of the era, but it was really beautiful.

The film stayed with me on the ride home, and I drove in silence while I reflected on it. That's how I judge a movie. If you are the type that loves character driven films, I'd very much recommend it. If you don't handle slow burn movies well, it might not be for you.

Carol is a good film, with a very important subject, and the script never addresses it head on, rather with class, elegance and subtly.

It's a great love and life story about one woman fighting for her right to be happy and another trying to figure out how can she really be happy. Each of them is the answer to the other.

The script could feature more insight, but then again, the film is supposed to be subtle and let the images speak for themselves. The cinematography is outstanding and the score is downright superb. There's a feeling, a certain atmosphere that makes the film truly peculiar and one of a kind.

But in the end, i think that it all comes down to Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, as they give unforgettable, brilliant performances. They are always perfect of course, but here there's something one of a kind about their performances. Its not only the characters that fall in love with each other, but also you who fall in love with them.

Its charming, important, powerful, resonant, and features two one of kind performances.

After you read the novel, your expectations about its adaptation are not small. The lead actresses are a good promise . But is it enough ? No doubts, yes. Because, for me, it is more than inspired adaptation of a good book. It is a gem, from performances to elegance, atmosphere, flavors and tension, from grace to bitterness. Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett are the best options and you know that if you read, again, the book. It is a love story but it becomes, scene by scene, more. Maybe, a sort of confession. About a world, a meet, a clash and few people. And, not the last, in special manner, about yourself.

Finally. FINALLY. This is the movie which completely overwhelmed my expectations and blew me away.

Romance is actually one of my favorite genres, but unfortunately it has let me down a lot more than once. Not the case with Carol. This has a strong possibility of being the best movie of 2015.

Therese is a woman working in a store who has an interest in trains and photography. But her hobbies is not enough to escape her boring and quite uneventful life. Carol has a wonderful daughter and is doing fine financially... but has an husband (whom she is trying to divorce) who won't leave her alone and makes her feel miserable.

These two people meet, and... they connect.

First off, the story itself is already incredibly captivating. It takes place during a time period where homosexuality was not only frowned upon, but there were even laws against it. So seeing the two of them facing struggles in order to keep in contact with each other is fascinating to behold. And it is because the love story is so damn beautiful. There is a lot of visual language. Eye contact and body language often speaks for itself. And it's excellently executed, as you sometimes know exactly how these two character are feeling without a single word spoken. And even the dialogue itself has subtlety to it. There are plenty of times where either Carol or Therese insinuate feelings by using seemingly casual sentences. "Your perfume... it smells good." is really just a synonym for "I want to kiss you". "Oh stop it, you look perfect!" can very well mean "I want to spend the rest of my life with you." The lines are not obvious giveaways and I love it. The audience gets to think for themselves.

But what really makes this movie work is the acting. It's absolutely amazing. Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara are at their best ever. They make the characters so real, so human, that you wish they actually existed. Kyle Chandler also throws in a remarkable performance as the husband. You root for the two girls... but you don't hate Harge either. There is one scene where he has gone so far as to get himself to the house Carol and Therese is staying at for the weekend. And when he's told he can't have her, I was really feeling bad for the guy!

I can't remember the last time I have been as touched by a movie. It hit my heart just in the right places, and when I walked out of the theater I felt like I had just experienced someone else's life.

Okay, the trailer revealed too goddamn much from the movie, so several important plot details I already knew beforehand. But even that couldn't stop the perfectly orchestrated ocean of emotions it bathed me in. Carol will stick to your brain like glue after you've watched it. Oh and the movie too ;)

'Carol' is a fine film. The juxtaposition of the lavish costumes and production design with the grainy look of 16mm film sells the film's old-fashioned aesthetic. It is a well-shot film that is pleasant to look at. All of the individual performances are pretty good.

The best part of the film is the opening sequence. The credits play over a continuing shot of fifties New York accompanied by Carter Burwell's fantastic piece 'Opening'. This shot brings us to a scene in a restaurant. This is a flash-forward that we revisit later on in the film. Our first sight of the main couple occurs when a man at the bar looks around the restaurant and spots them at a table. In this shot, Therese (Rooney Mara) and Carol (Cate Blanchett) are sitting at a table. Therese is sat facing away from the camera and towards Carol, who we can see clearly. My immediate reaction to this sight was "Wow, Cate Blanchett genuinely looks like she's in love." It felt real.

Unfortunately, I didn't get this feeling from the rest of the film. I couldn't feel any chemistry between Therese and Carol. Mara and Blanchett do their best with what they are given, but they aren't given enough. Their characters don't feel fleshed out. I didn't feel like I knew them as people by the end. The film's technical achievements can only lift a film so high. If you love this film then I'm glad, but I can't love it when I couldn't grow attached to the characters. This is especially a problem as this feels like a film driven more by character than by story.

Despite what I have said, this film didn't bore me. Mara and Blanchett are both engaging actresses who command your attention even if they aren't given enough to work with. The film is on the slow side but it goes at the right pace for what director Todd Haynes and screenwriter Phyllis Nagy were going for. Overall, it was an interesting experience that felt a bit empty.

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It's an inevitability that Carol will face categorisation as an LGBT film, but that's not the limits of how it should be considered. It's simply a heartfelt and deeply human love story where the principle couple confronts insurmountable odds. In Carol's case, these obstacles are the prejudices of the time and culture they live in. The film frames this discrimination in a tangible and legal way, as the titular Carol is accused of a morally indecent lifestyle by her ex-husband in order to win custody of their daughter. The film isn't interested in being a courtroom drama though, instead focusing on the blossoming relationship between Rooney Mara's Therese and Cate Blanchett's Carol.

Todd Haynes is known for his heightened style that evokes the melodrama of Douglas Sirk, for instance. His 2002 film Far From Heaven feels plucked from the cinema of the 1950s. However, Carol is a film that feels plucked from the New York streets of the 1950s as the aesthetic here is surprisingly naturalistic. It doesn't quite breach a documentary-esque style with Edward Lachman's understated and pleasantly grainy cinematography, but it all comes organically and authentically with the elegant fashion of production and costume design and the atmosphere that its cold Christmas setting provides. It's a very restrained film – as there are only two particularly intimate scenes – but the film carries an air of sexual and romantic tension throughout.

As Carol, Cate Blanchett challenges her polar opposite and equally excellent work with Haynes as a Bob Dylan incarnation in I'm Not There here. By nature of the film's structure, the first half is in the perspective of Therese and the second focuses on the perspective of Carol. There's an interesting inaccessibility about Blanchett in the first half that draws you into Therese's infatuation. Mara, one of the most promising actresses of this decade since her small memorable part in The Social Network, uses her own reserved detachness – something she's been frequently criticised for – to her own advantage. To watch someone like Therese open up after being so repressed is thoroughly cathartic.

However, Blanchett whips the film from under her feet in the second half. She litters the first half of the film with nuanced hints and clues to her past desires, also communicating so much with very little. She's elusive, but Mara is a key source of intrigue at that point due to the honesty in her performance and unexpected dry wit. Once Carol is struggling to deal with her own internal conflicts, Blanchett is on fire and burns the house down with her ultimate rebuttal of the accusations against her. Kyle Chandler, her suffering husband soon to be ex-husband, shows such painful anguish in his brief outbursts. It's a measured performance that anchors the film and the stakes of the relationships. Every performance of the ensemble – from extras to bit parts – are delivering among their finest work.

It's an all-rounder in terms of Oscar-contention, with Haynes perhaps being a more likely bet for Best Director than the film is for Best Picture. Blanchett has won too recently but if Weinstein works his magic, Mara would be a strong contender in either leading or supporting. Phyllis Nagy will certainly duel with Aaron Sorkin in Best Adapted Screenplay, even if her work is more patient, while the production and costume design ought to destroy competition. A sure bet should be Carter Burwell for his beautiful score that sunk my chest with its few powerful notes. It's an achingly tender film that will be timeless, even if it doesn't resonate with everyone with such specificity. Carol shouldn't just be a statement for our time and a condemnation for past mistakes, it's a demonstration that love is a part of the human condition regardless of sexuality.

8/10

The creators didn't divulge deep into intricacies, nor were they obliged to, although I wish they had, but they kept it rather simple, and I believe that is precisely what was required. Especially considering the fact that the writing here didn't have much depth to begin with. That said, even in such tiring mundanity, we get to observe a blossoming rapport that sparkles with electrifying chemistry and much desired warmth.

Mara and Blanchett deserve full credit for their performances, which were sincere and convincing. They never seemed out of place; both of them carried and embodied the souls of their characters throughout the narrative. The bonding came across as organic, which I suppose contributed to its being meaningful and memorable.

I've watched many, many lesbian movies, and sometimes there is a good one, but this is a gorgeous movie with two recognizable stars in that are so talented that I forgot I was watching people act; it felt more like I was peeping in on their lives. The movie is realistic. The sets are remarkable and so well-done, the costumes, make-up, everything suitable for the time frame. Cinematography is gorgeous, and the plot is both suspenseful and thoughtful at the same time. I've been waiting thirty-five years for a producer to take lesbian love seriously, and it has finally happened. Hooray!

Imagine how The Blue Angel Marlene Dietrich meets Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast At Tiffany's. Two goddesses in love affair. An essence and definition of love in its core distilled through different bodies and remaining a mutual enjoying of the heart. There is some cold classical feeling from the 30's in this movie, though it was set in the early 1950s in the McCarthy's era of witch-hunts. No answers are provided here and no stretched details. All is centred around Kate Blanchet and Rooney Mara.What you have to do is just to sit down,relax and enjoy the smoky narrative with a scarce dialogue.The 16 mm grainy picture, Sandy Powell's period costumes , cinematography and film editing from Edward Lachman and Affonso Gonçalves ,all well fitted in Patricia Highsmith's "The Price Of Salt" novel deliver a new conversation between the movie and the viewer. It's not about others but it's all about us. This message is truly important these days. No satisfaction in the sense and laws of tradition but how tradition have shaped us to rethink the history. As John Grant sings in Glacier "Don't listen to anyone, get answers on your own/Even if it means that sometimes you feel quite alone,No one on this planet can tell you what to believe,People like to talk a lot, and they like to deceive". There are echoes of other movies here such as the cold sentimentality of Savage Grace , Far From Heaven (from same director Todd Haynes) - another forbidden love story, Brokeback Mountain and A Single Man - both tragic waste of lives. Carol in some ways captures few finest moments from all these movies but as mentioned before it transcends one step further. It neutralises the bitter ends replacing it with hope. It's not the usual Hollywood hope but your own personal hope.It inspires you to decide,design and photograph your life. Don't wait,do it now!

I love this movie. You do not need to be a lesbian to adore it. It is just the perfect mix between beauty, love, music ,hope. It flows like a poetry .Great end and great director. Of course great actors. To see and review.

Carol is the story of forbidden love in the 50's between Carol, played by Cate Blanchett and Therese, played by Rooney Mara. The film is made from the book The Price of Salt, written by the renowned author Patricia Hightower famous for other works such as Strangers on a Train or The Talented Mr Ripley. The Director Todd Haynes has previous experiences with the genre especially in the great film Far From Heaven, so I had some expectations. Roney Mara and Cate Blanchett both play their characters superbly well and Haynes has really succeeded in creating a good personal chemistry between them.

Carol is a well made film combined with great cinematography and beautiful music by Carter Burwell. We are quickly introduced to Therese and realizes that she isn't comfortable with her relationship with Richard. When she meets Carol, sparks fly and we can tell they have got an attraction. However, Carol has a heavy history and Therese gets drawn into a divorce, a custody battle and a jealous ex-lover. I think this is where it gets problematic because we know so much about Carol and her background, but we are left to draw our own conclusions and make guesses about Therese's past life. Perhaps we would have better understood and known Therese, had we got to know more about her life. I also don't feel like we really understand why Carol is drawn specifically to Therese. Is it love or just mere passion? She has a past of female lovers and doesn't appear to have felt the same thing for them.

As Carol reaches the end I still don't feel like the main characters faces any real trouble. Carol's husband appears to be relatively understanding and we don't know anything about Therese's life and her social circle, and can therefore only speculate on how they would react. It is really not that much standing in their way and yet they mess it up. I think if their love would have been made an even greater struggle and faced with larger obstacles it would have felt more stronger and important. Plain and simple, the film would have needed to be a bit more dramatic. But, still it is a good film and I do get drawn into their story.

David Lindahl - www.filmografen.se

Carol is one of these movies that make you feel the strongest when you've watched them. Somehow, at the end of it, I knew I could do anything.

This movie inspires you to be the truest version of yourself as you follow Carol and Therese's own discoveries of themselves. It is raw and sincere and full of feelings the characters, as well as yourself, do not always know how to interpret.

It is so refreshing to watch a movie with a satisfying - dare I say happy - ending that makes it one of the best wlw ever made.

Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara's performances breathtakingly capture the essence of two people falling in love when they are not allowed to. The beauty of the writing (credits to The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith) matches the ingenuity of the framing. We can only be in awe of the women portrayed in the movie.

I both despise and wish I would have time where love could be a secret while keeping all its beauty. It makes me want to love and cherish my beloved even more than I already do.

An aspiring photographer (Rooney Mara) develops an intimate relationship with an older woman (Cate Blanchett).

Before going in to this film, I initially believed it was one that should have made the cut for Best Picture in place of "Brooklyn", especially given how little "Brooklyn" had going for it. Having now seen them both, I think the right decision was made. Perhaps "The Danish Girl" deserved the boost, but "Brooklyn" is the superior film to "Carol".

What "Carol" has going for it, of course, is a well-acted romance. Cate Blanchett is at her finest, a lesbian who has tried and failed to live a "normal" life. She had a husband she could not love and a child she does, and it was emotionally damaging to her. Blanchett portrays this range well, someone wise enough and confident enough to know what they want, and yet aware they are in a world that cannot allow it.

Rooney Mara is coming from the opposite end. Her character is naive and still learning the ways of the world. She seemingly does not know her own feelings, at least at first, being pursued by a man but not necessarily knowing why she is not interested in him. Her story is one of discovery. At times we almost feel she is being taken advantage of, though this is not the intent. Mara just does such a fine job of successfully communicating the life of a young woman who does not yet know her place in the world.

Why this story fails, though, is because of the pace. What could be a steady, moving story of romance and a photographer who is moving up in the world tends to drag. The score could put an audience to sleep and the editing does little to keep the film moving. All the hard work that went into making these characters is hindered by their being trapped in a slow, thudding picture.

The nominations include score (which seems wrong) and cinematography (which is fair but there is nothing spectacular here). There is also adapted screenplay, which I could not say one way or the other without reading Patricia Highsmith's novel. So for these it is a no, a no and a maybe. I would also expect no win in costume design. So we have four nominations (very impressive) but nothing to show for it.

Where we might see an award is in the acting category. Both Blanchett and Mara were nominated. Unfortunately for Blanchett, she was nominated for Best Actress, a category that almost certainly will go to Brie Larson for "Room". Mara is considered a Supporting Actress, which makes her biggest contender Jennifer Jason Leigh for "Hateful Eight". And I would not count out Alicia Vikander for "Danish Girl", either.

In short, we have six nominations, five of which are not likely to become wins. Rooney Mara is the film's best bet to win an Oscar, but she has a little competition. It would be hard to decide, as Leigh seems to be the front-runner and personally I thought Vikander was great.

This film is heartbreakingly beautiful. The acting, the cinematography, the music, everything. It lingers long after it's over. The characters will take up a place in your heart.

The seduction and hypnosis of a Todd Haynes film is hard to deny. His attention to detail in such films like "Far from Heaven" and "I'm Not There" are simply superb, and one cannot overlook the vision he engulfs upon as he directs each one of them. In his newest venture, "Carol," which is based on the book "The Price of Salt" by Patricia Highsmith, the luxurious command in which he approaches the material is confident and pristinely evident once again. He pulls out some outstanding performances, especially from Cate Blanchett and Sarah Paulson, and crafts another multi-layered deconstruction on love during a time where it was simply one note to modern society. With all that said, there's a barrier between the film's central characters and its audience, resulting in a good, not great cinematic endeavor.

"Carol" tells the story of Therese (pronounced TER-REZ and played by Rooney Mara), a department store clerk who dreams of a better life outside the normalcy of work and her persistent beau Richard (played by Jake Lacy). Set in 1950s New York, she falls for an older, married woman names Carol (played by Blanchett), and the two embark on a journey of forbidden love.

"Carol" is as lusciously made as you come to expect from any Haynes film. Sexy, sultry, and vibrantly crafted, Haynes pours his heart and soul into each frame he directs with generous and respectful admiration. He transports us to a time we can only see in our dreams, with stunning cloths of the 1950's, thanks to outstanding Sandy Powell, and gorgeous set design, thanks to Judy Becker and Heather Loeffler.

The script by Phyllis Nagy, whose only credit is the TV Movie "Mrs. Harris," which she also directed and was nominated for an Emmy, is profound in parts. It's natural to go back to something like "Brokeback Mountain" for comparison, a story that succeeded so much on the subtle and quietly spoken thoughts of its characters. We see their love present in a secret kiss on the side of an apartment, or on a quiet standing by a camp fire as Ennis goes to take care of the caddle for the night. These are factors that add to up a forbidden love.

In "Carol," there's a missing variable in Carol and Therese's relationship. They meet, flirt awkwardly, and then suddenly are together in a strange circumstance. Now, one can argue that love knows no boundaries of time nor space. Perhaps you would be correct in that, but the main difference between Ennis and Jack versus Carol and Therese, is that the love in the former felt just as high-stakes at what they threatened to lose. Ennis loses his family, wanders the Earth essentially, still unsure of his own place, even without theoretically any more obstacles. Yet, Jack visits him upon the news of his impending divorce, and with still a real fear of exile and being true to himself, Ennis sends him away. Jack is heartbroken by this behavior, that translates well into one of the most iconic lines, "I wish I knew how to quit you."

Carol feels like Ennis in this regard, destined to live alone despite embracing her own sensibilities and self. However , in Therese's young, unconfident mind, she doesn't equal or amount to the yin, of Carol's yang. Her exploration comes off like curiosity rather than love. Perhaps that's the intent, and if it is, then I applaud it, but when the film reaches its conclusion, nothing supports that claim. I find little reason to root for these two to be together. "Blue is the Warmest Color," even with intense and ill-fitting explicit scenes, manages to show the passion between the two main characters. I think that's the key word that's missing from the film: passion.

With those hurdles, some of the performances surpass any and all expectations. With a stellar year in hand with James Vanderbilt's "Truth" already loved by so many, Cate Blanchett delivers an even more breathtaking portrayal in Haynes' film. Blanchett captures the lioness quality of Carol, steaming forward with blinders on as she finds herself entranced by Therese's innocence. Her slow, sultry hand moving across her lover's shoulder is a vibrant action that speaks impeccable volumes. I thought it was one of her best performances ever.

Rooney Mara's sensitive yet disengaged nature from her surroundings is particularly moving as she walks through the film. Her quiet breakdowns are felt in the moment but have no lasting effect for the rest of the story. With such strong Supporting Actress buzz for the performance, I'm a little baffled by its unanimous love fest. Especially when standing next to the great Sarah Paulson, whose role and performance will hawk back to Patricia Clarkson in "Far from Heaven" but with such depth and assurance. Not exactly developed to its full potential, but as Abby, Carol's best friend and former flame, Paulson engages it all with a vigorous and palpable energy. As Carol's husband Harge, Kyle Chandler's desperation and urgency is lively and vivid, but with not enough substance and time to really make an impact.

"Carol" is fruitful in the cinematic capacity of its structure but it leaves some things to be desired. For a Haynes enthusiast, they'll likely run the gauntlet on its construction and performances, eating every morsel of it up with a spoon. For others, the appreciation will surely be clear, but there may be some that are left out in the cold.

Others have already mentioned the film's beauty, elegance, attention to period detail, acting etc. All amazing. As a gay man "of a certain age" I felt deep gratitude for the gift given by the artists who created this film. The direction is so subtle and effective, using the all the tools of film making to communicate information, meaning, and emotion.

Like Brokeback Mountain, this film turns cliché on its head and transcends the particulars of the protagonists' lives by illuminating more universal themes. It is a period/genre film that acts to balance well established tropes of its genre, a powerful corrective to SO MANY previous films that repeated the same old false, stereotypical, and often tragic images of gay lives. Beyond merely telling some real truth, Carol has so much to say about strength, resilience, and the possibility of finding joy in difficult circumstances. As such, it was deeply satisfying to this viewer.

A story of love and change, "Carol" was incredibly moving. The taboo subject of sexuality during the 1950s is explored in this film and the relationship between Carol (Cate Blanchett) and Therese (Rooney Mara) is deep and endearing. Blanchett and Mara both gave amazing performances in this film. Such an important subject and story to tell, they did it with grace and compassion. Todd Haynes did a wonderful capturing the varying emotions throughout this film as well. Nominated for multiple Oscars, I can understand the Academy's approval of this film. It was extremely well done and it's great to see films like this that can open people minds and hearts to the definition of love.

First my opinion of the movie without the lesbian theme.

Great cinematography. The reconstitution of the 50's was perfect. Splendid work.

The adaptation of the novel however was terrible. As another reviewer very aptly said, the novel lines that are in the mind of the director are rendered through long pauses and stares. You are supposed too guess the lines when that happens.

The directing makes it worse. Both lead actresses seem to play in different movies, answer to different people, react to different situations. You don't understand how the passion evolves from the movie only. The stages and pace of the relationship are not explained.

Now the lesbian theme.

I am surprised that it was unconditionally applauded by most LGBT reviewers. In fact it could be understood as as much homophobic as liberal. It revives the myth of the lesbian as a predator. Carol is a mature lady who seduces an inexperienced girl. Carol is a wealthy lady who seduces a poor employee. Also the acting by Cate Blanchett is explicitly predator- ish, and the acting by Rooney Mara explicitly victim-ish.

The exposition of the judicial trouble facing lesbians at the time is ambiguous as well. The husband and the lawyer are presented as very moderate. In fact you could almost root for them, in the context of the time.

Carol is not placed in an insane asylum, she will keep her wealth and have the good life. She does not really lose her daughter either, the daughter is not placed in an orphanage. And Carol will be able to see her all the time when the daughter is of age. Plus Carol is not shown as very determined to keep her daughter eventually.

The whole results in a dull and morally too cautious movie. No sides are taken, no passion is really dealt with. Very ambiguous.