Carol (2015)

Past weekend the 13th PAC festival was held in the Pathé cinemas in The Netherlands. It is held twice a year and have been visiting for a couple of years now. Each time it is held various quality movies are shown which will be released here in a couple of weeks or months. It makes going worth your time, also because the movies are the ones you might not pick out yourself if you had the chance to. The atmosphere during that day is always nice as you are sharing the same experience with a big group of people from 10 in the morning till 11 in the evening. This time Carol was the opening movie, starring Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchetta which is based on the novel The Price of Salt.

Young Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara) works in a department store in New York, where she’s constantly being watched by her superior. She lives a gray existence and dreams of doing something with her passion for photography. Around the Christmas period she meets Carol Aird (Cate Blanchett), who buys a train set from her. When Therese notices that Carol has left her gloves behind, she contacts her. Carol decides to invite her over to her house to thank her, but her influence on Therese is huge. Therese starts to feel more for her and wants to spend time. But as Carol is married and is about to be divorced a relationship between the two, especially during the fifties, is something which is scandalous.

 Right from the start of the movie it showcases atmosphere in each and every aspect, the subtle filmgrain, the detailed sets (with windows which are sometimes fogged up) and the beautiful wardrobe the characters are wearing. In the world that is built characters like Therese and Carol just fit in. Kate Blanchett of course is already classic when it comes to her appearance, but as wealthy housewife who is always sharply dressed she manages to cast a spell both on Therese as the viewer. Rooney Mara manages to keep up with her though, which results in wonderful cinema. The story is told in a tasteful way and slowly unveils what exactly is going on with both women. The result is a romantic drama which director Todd Haynes tells in an exquisite way.