Review: Film: Carol, by Julie Renee Phelan

Thumps from 1 to 5: Thumps of 4.5

            The Film, Carol starring Cate Blanchett as Carol Aird, and Rooney Mara as Therese Belivet, who reminds me of a young Audrey Hepburn, is set against a remarkable musical score that at times is ironic by Carter Burwell. The costume designs are exceptional, even the plaid lines match on either side of the seam. Due to the body language and the intricacy of the musical selections, I may have been able to watch and understand the movie without listening to the dialogue. The music and body language took front and center in the telling this intimate tale of love between two women. The subject matter is tastefully and sensitively done so the audience may grasp the depth of their love, which is one of natural beauty. Carol's romantic love life starts and ends with a lesbian lover. In this manner, her life comes full circle, which Carol actually says in the film, and that is unfortunate since most of the film is based on nuance: it leaves the audience with some incongruity. 
          This story takes place during the 1950s: the lesbian relationship therefore ends on a tragic note with a “morality clause” inserted in a divorce proceeding between Carol and her husband, Harge Aird starring Kyle Chandler, who plays a perfectly despicable jealous husband out to scorn and shame rather than respect and honor the nature of love between two women.