ST. LOUIS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL YEAH!!!... now that that’s done let’s talk about Carol. There’s a moment early in Carol that really seems out of place, but ultimately maps out what works about the movie. A character mentions something about how people in movies say something, but mean something else. I thought the scene felt out of place at first, and I was actually a little bit weirded out by such an abrupt scene change, but then I realized it’s importance. I realized why it was put there. Because it helps you find the depth of the film. That’s a paramount fact because while Carol is exciting on its surface it’s a little slight. Sure, it looks great in 16mm, the production design is to die for, and the actresses are subtle but absolutely engaging. Especially Cate Blanchett. She absolutely lights up the screen with a smolderingly seductive performance, but the film doesn’t really pull you in like it should. I think that this lack of depth comes from the fact that Carol is written in the exact way that the earlier quote describes. It’s all about what characters say, and what characters mean. This made the movie like a game for me, and made it more interesting allowing me to sink into everything else that the film had to offer. Especially the things that I mentioned earlier. Again the film is shot in 16mm. I realized this quickly, and the dated look of the film really builds the atmosphere of the film. The fact that the film accentuates the colorful nature of the clothing at the time creates a lush environment. Carol is a film that could have been drab if the production design hadn’t been so exciting, but the production design only compliments the wonderfully romantic sense that the film has. This romantic sense is built from the performances in the film. Cate Blanchett gets a lot of chances to use subtle very seductive acting, and the naïveté that Rooney Mara shows in these scenes actually creates an exciting part of the atmosphere. There’s an endearing rush that comes with Cate Blanchett walking in, with a cigarette, and in just her eyes you see longing for Mara’s character. Much like the dialogue these actors are wonderfully transmitting what the characters are feeling. You have to look for that depth, but when you can get into it the film’s rewards are marvelous. The way Mara’s eyes are the way into her character, the way Kyle Chandler seems to be less a bad guy, but more just a guy trying to keep his family together no matter the cost, and leaves everything just more broken. These are all impressive performances, and what you see is actors doing very emotional work that you can see in every minute they are on-screen. The film is at times too disconnected from the audience because of the screenplay, and the meaning of the each of the characters, and Mara and the others can’t always catch up with Blanchett, but everything is here is exceptional. Highly recommended. I give Carol an 8.5 out of 10. REVIEW BY STEPHEN TRONICEK
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December 2017
CategoriesAuthorHello welcome to FilmAnalyst. My name is Stephen Tronicek, and I really like movies. This is a way to get my opinions out to people. Thank you for visiting. |