Rent Carol (2015)

Good - Carol review by jr

Good film, Blanchett et al are excellent, I enjoyed seeing the political and social situation in the USA in the fifties, the judgemental nature of male domination treating women so unfairly. Good direction, good pace. As a straight male born in a Latin country, I have become to understand much better now issues of gender / sexuality discrimination, patronising, etc. towards women.

I feel that men have taken the piss for a long long time . This is the kind of cinema I like, challenging, truthful, provocative. Good. 4 stars.

Disappointing and rather bland - Carol review by CP Customer

I badly wanted to see this when it opened at the London Film Festival, but was unable to get tickets. It came and went quickly at the local cinemas, so I had to wait until it came out on DVD. It wasn't really worth the wait. While it certainly looks great - beautifully filmed - the plot is fairly standard (if there can be such a thing, I know) lesbian awakening, with a fairly predictable flow of: mundane, trapped existence/encounter with glamorous other/glimpse of another world/sucked up into erotic, exciting lust and love/face the repercussions/guilt/denial/and then? To be honest, I'd pretty much sorted that much out before the film even started. There was an interesting twist in that the other woman was a mother and engaged in a struggle for custody, severely compromised by what's seen as moral failings (everyone is suitably cagey) but it only serves to inform us that what all women really want, even lesbians, is motherhood. This, however, is disposed of with a left-field bit of sacrifice and selflessness that comes out of the blue, leaving the end...well, quite nicely open (the final shot is one of the film's best).

Performances are also predictable. As the awakened one, Mara Rooney looks blank and fed up most of the time, sporting a severe fringe that only reminded me of the lesbian character in "Home for Purim", the film-within-a-film in Christopher Guest's "For Your Consideration". Cate Blanchett exudes a haughty coolness laced with occasional hysteria, but it still feels by numbers.

For me, the real revelation was Kyle Chandler as Blanchett's on-screen husband, Harge (what kind of name is that?). A bullying, wounded beast, Chandler exudes a convincing blend of pain and confusion, and ultimately it's hard not to feel sorry for him. Well, I thought so, anyway.

It's not a bad film, but I had hoped for better.

Note Perfect Romance For Christmas - Carol review by GI

A beautiful and thoughtful film. This is modern film making at its very best, the film is note perfect and it's like a romantic visual poem. It really is a triumph. Set over the Christmas season of 1952 it follows young Therese (Rooney Mara), who works in a big department store in New York and dreams of being a photographer. One day she is mesmerised by the beautiful Carol (Cate Blanchett) who is in the store buying Christmas presents. Through various means they become friends and Therese becomes captivated by Carol much to the chagrin of her lovelorn boyfriend and the anger of Carol's estranged husband (Kyle Chandler). As their relationship develops into love Therese becomes heartbroken when Carol is forced to choose between her and losing access to her daughter. This is a story of love, sexual awakening and desire. It's a wonderfully told tale and both the stars give mesmerising performances. There's a beauty, sadness and a sense of hope throughout the film, which is shot in a wonderful colour palette that recreates the 1950s superbly. This is a film to enjoy on a quiet Christmas time evening where you can absorb the sheer genius of it. An intense, brilliantly crafted romance that works on every level.