Carol: Simply Beautiful
Carol, for all intensive purposes, isn't a movie that's trying to do much. This is Director Todd Hayne's 6th feature length film and arguably his most grounded film, but I'll be damned if it isn't one of his best.
This movie is a god damn masterpiece of Cinema and it does it by being simply a technical, well shot, well directed, tightly written, BEAUTIFULLY acted film.
Based the 1952 novel "The Price of Salt" by Patricia Highsmith (who also wrote The original Strangers on a Train) it tells the story of a young store clerk named Therese who becomes infatuated with, and eventually becomes the lover of Carol Aird, an enigmatic woman who is in the process of divorcing her husband.
On the surface the story is as basic as it sound. Forbidden love during a time where people didn't understand or tolerate, but it doesn't need to be anymore complicated than that. The movie gets right to the fucking point. You wanna see the interactions of Cate Blanchett and Roony Mara, and god damn did they do a great job. I assume Blanchett is going to get a Best Actress nomination for her role as Carol, and if she doesn't she'll damn sure deserve one. I can't really find anything to complain about.
Cinematography: Beautiful. Direction: Great. Acting: Great. Score: Low-Key AMAZING. While the story isn't surprising, especially if you looked up the original source material like I did, that's hardly the point. This is a movie that uses the source material to just make a beautiful romantic period drama. See this movie.
