Carol

So I was looking for a deliciously naughty and forbidden coupling of two hot ladies from the 1950s, when I went to see Carol. Instead I got a tragic story about a woman being denied her right to motherhood because of who she is. What a shame!

Cate Blanchett in her self assured, high class manner, flirting with shop girls and knowing what she wants is so yummy! Rooney Mara's wide eyed eagerness to have new experiences and go where she shouldn't is delightful! They look beautiful and they are shot lovingly and they show so much restraint it could almost have been a British drama! These are all good things.

Bur reality creeps in. Divorce is not a simple task, not now and less so in the 1950s. Carol's spurned husband has no room in his heart for who his wife really is. And society will not stand for a "deviant" woman to have access to raising her own child. And so, sadness! Flirting and lesbian lovemaking, but also, sadness.

The acting is great, the pacing is slow and thoughtful without crossing too far over into ponderous, the issues feel painful and real. In the opening shot, I feared the music would be too much, sort of leading the way for us emotionally, but it quickly became a compliment rather than a leading indicator.

Carol was a solidly made film with a lot of great elements. It sort of lacked a little something that might have made it a Best Picture nomination. But from my perspective, so did Brooklyn. I don't know if I completely disagree with that decision, but it does make me question, what was the important factor that separated two otherwise quiet, emotional dramas?