Film discussion: Carol

Carol, which we will be discussing tomorrow (Tuesday) night, is the story of a love affair between a well-to-do older woman and a young woman who works the counter at a department store. The film is set in the Fifties, and I don’t think I’m guilty of a huge spoiler when I say that the two women do not find immediate and blissful happiness together.

On the other hand, with Cate Blanchett playing Carol and Rooney Mara playing the young woman, the trials and tribulations of their relationship make for compelling cinema. And six Academy Awards nominations for the movie—including Best Actress for Blanchett and Best Supporting for Rooney Mara—are also pretty good evidence that the film succeeded at a high level.

Carol was directed by Todd Haynes, who sprang to fame with 2002’s Far From Heaven, another story set in the 50s that included both gay and interracial love affairs as plot elements. Haynes has always been fascinated by what happens when love crosses societal taboos and has a knack for making emotional conflicts and yearnings into very good movies.

But critics have gone out of their way to point out that Carol isn’t an issue-driven movie. It’s about two people who are attracted to each other and how that feels.

I’m really looking forward to Carol and the discussion that will follow. The film has a fascinating history and went through a ton of roadblocks and potholes in its long journey to getting made. It should make for a good story, although the story within the movie will be our primary focus.

I hope to see you there.