Cate Blanchett In Carol

It seems like every year – right about this time – I’m using the same old line: Cate Blanchett is the best actress on the planet. Such a proclamation isn’t uncommon when you include Blanchett in that statement, either. In fact, that line is likely used so often that its gotten to the point where you don’t even need to waste time making a case for anyone else.

Yeah, she’s that spectacular.

However, her roles aren’t always as spicy as the talent she possesses. Truth be told, her smug, albeit radiantly portrayed characters are beginning to become stale in nature. It’s not because she’s unlikable (though her characters often are), but simply that she’s too good to maintain her trajectory.

Make no mistake about it – she was flawless in

In the middle of the terribly strained marriage is their young daughter.

Meanwhile, Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara), a toy store clerk during the holiday season, appears to be in a romantically disinterested state-of-mind with her boyfriend, Richard (Jake Lacy). When Therese meets Carol in the toy store, she instantly becomes infatuated, wasting little time to accept Carol’s seemingly random invitations to lunch and eventually to visit her home.

As opposed to being alone on Christmas, Carol decides to ask Therese to come away with her on a trip – which Therese joyfully accepts. At the same time, Harge hires a private detective to follow Carol and collect information about her newly ignited (and socially inappropriate) romantic relationship with Therese. The information forces Carol to end her blossoming romance with Therese, but that doesn’t stop Carol and Therese from yearning to be with one

Obviously, the point is to depict a scenario where one woman becomes involved in an unacquainted relationship with another woman, who for all intents and purposes, is in the midst of a failed marriage due to the fact that she keeps engaging in extramarital affairs with women.

The problem is – and keep in mind this is coming from a man’s perspective – Harge, Carol’s husband, portrayed by the always-enjoyable Kyle Chandler, doesn’t appear to have done anything wrong, at least on the romantic side. He likes his drink – a characteristic that wasn’t uncommon back then, either, but appears to be unconditionally devoted to his wife and his young draught. I guess this is my way of saying Carol is the home wrecker of this story – but she’s not painted to be.

This is a “love knows no bounds” drama that poignantly portrays a relationship between two powerful women. On one hand, the narrative doesn’t veer far from the course of a film like The Notebook (not that two such films deserve to be in the same discussion), and is certainly a film that contributes to breaking down barriers of Hollywood heterosexually – similar to Brokeback