+ Best Adaptation of the Year
+ Best Romance of the Year
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| The nearly eatable poster for Todd Haynes' Carol |
Carol is the 6th feature from master Los Angeles filmmaker Todd Haynes (Far from Heaven (2002)), a long in the works and highly anticipated adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's groundbreaking novel The Price of Salt (1952), (later re-titled Carol), written by Oscar-nominee Phyllis Nagy (Mrs. Harris (2005)). It might be the best Highsmith adaptation to date.
Therese is a young woman working in a department store in New York in 1952, when she meets the older woman Carol, who is in the middle of a difficult divorce, and the two fall in love.
Carol is a magnificent film and a first class adaptation, a simply delicious love story that is impeccably accomplished in every aspect. It is curious that two of 2015's best films thus turn out to be spirited romances set in New York in nearly the same period, about young women working in department stores. (The other film, of course, being Brooklyn.)
I first imagined I saw Oscar-nominee Cate Blanchett (Truth (2015)) channeling Joan Crawford here, (which wouldn't have been a bad role-model to channel at all), but I don't think she does. Carol is all her, and she displays a remarkable balance between strength and touching vulnerability in the empowering role. Young Oscar-nominee Rooney Mara (Side Effects (2013)) cements herself as one of the most gifted young actresses around today beside her, and you'll catch yourself falling for her waif-like sweetness in Carol, where she resembles Audrey Hepburn quite a lot. There's a powerful, universal humanity to their relationship in the film that makes it soar and touch us, and perhaps remind some audience members of their lives' past romances.
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| Rooney Mara is stunning in Todd Haynes' Carol |
The structure of the film pays homage to David Lean's great Brief Encounter (1945). The romance is cute SPOILER and platonic for very long, - I was nearly beginning to worry, - but once sex finally enters, it is elegant and tenderly depicted.
The production design, Oscar-nominated costumes, hair, makeup and visual concept, presenting a big palette of strong foundational colors, is striking and sumptuous as could be expected from the maker of the equally delicious, if colder Far from Heaven. It is shot by Oscar-nominee Edward Lachman (I'm Not There. (2007)) on 16 mm film and plays with obscuring its images through reflections, glass etc., which only heightens the sensuous rendition of the story. Oscar-nominee Carter Burwell's (Mr. Holmes (2015)) score is poignant, if not quite as masterful as Elmer Bernstein's (The Shootist (1976)) classical Far from Heaven score.
The supporting cast is superb: Sarah Paulson (12 Years a Slave (2013)), John Magaro (The Big Short (2015)) and Jake Lacy (Obvious Child (2014)) all bring strong portrayals, and Kyle Chandler (King Kong (2005)) is spectacular as Carol's husband, a desperate and miserable husband and father, who - through Chandler's empathic performance - comes to be more than the monster he otherwise might have been. He is an imperfect man who acts in a time of bigotry and darkness.
Carol is a film you shouldn't for anything miss seeing in a cinema. A rare treat that is bound to live on.
Related posts:
Todd Haynes: Top 10: Best gay-themed titles
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2015 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
Mildred Pierce (2011, miniseries) - Haynes' spin on the Cain classic is a luxury
Cost: 11.8 mil. $
Box office: 40.3 mil. $
= Box office success
[Carol premiered May 17 (in competition in Cannes) and runs 118 minutes. Development of an adaptation had been active since at least 1996 and made impossible until now due to lack of willing financiers, scheduling difficulties (a long line of directors have been involved before Haynes assumed the job), rights issues as well as Nagy's stubborn and laudable insistence that the film SPOILER not be turned into a tragical gay story, - which have accounted for most of the major gay stories that have previously attracted the interest of the mainstream. Shooting lasted 34 days in March - April 2014 in Ohio and Kentucky, with 7 months of post in NY. Carol's wide-release, in just 780 theaters, opening weekend came in #15 with 1.4 mil. $ in North America, where it has grossed 12.6 mil. $ (32.3 % of the total gross.) Its 2nd and 3rd biggest markets have been the UK with 3.9 mil. $ (10 %) and France with 2.3 mil. $ (5.9 %). The film received a ten minute standing ovation at its Cannes premiere, where it won the Queer Palm Award, and Mara tied Best Actress with Emmanuelle Bercot of Mon Roi. At the Oscars, the film was nominated 6 times, but went home empty-handed, sorely overlooked. There was also controversy over its being left out of the Best Film and Best Director categories. Carol has rated high on countless Top 10 lists of the year and won scores of awards around the world. Carol is certified fresh at 93 % with a 8.6 critical average on Rotten Tomatoes.]
What do you think of Carol?
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