Carol DVD Review

Beautiful But Cold

♦ Tripwire gave editor-in-chief Joel Meadows the task of reviewing Todd Haynes’ Oscar nominated melodrama Carol

Carol

Director: Todd Haynes

Stars: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson

Carol is an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel The Price of Salt about two women in 1950s New York who find themselves in a love affair which is frowned upon by society at the time. Cate Blanchett plays the sophisticated and eponymous Carol while Rooney Mara is Therese Belivet, the shopgirl who she takes a shine to. Highsmith is best known for writing the Tom Ripley novels which have been adapted to movies before (Plein Soleil back in 1960 and The Talented Mister Ripley, which starred Matt Damon and was released in 1999). Highsmith was a great writer, not afraid to break taboos and show the ugly underbelly of humanity. The problem here is that, unlike The Talented Mister Ripley, which was a great slice of noir, Carol is just a  beautiful-looking melodrama. Blanchett is very good as she usually is, Mara is decent and there is genuine chemistry between the pair. But there is a coldness and a detachment here that prevents the viewer from really engaging with the story and its characters. It looks lovely as Haynes has shot it to have the feel of a 1950s movie and visually it is impressive. But you just can’t get over the barrier Haynes has created. Also, in terms of pacing it is pretty glacial which wouldn’t matter if the emotional connection was there.

Blanchett does fit the part here and looks amazing and so her Oscar nomination was well-deserved. But it is a story that probably works better on the printed page than on the screen. For fans of Haynes, Carol is recommended. But other viewers will find it frustrating and a little bit like a museum piece, lacking any human warmth.

JOEL MEADOWS

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