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

her Academy Award winning role of Jasmine in Blue Jasmine, yet the temperament of that particular character doesn’t necessarily vary in demeanor when you stand the role up against Mary Mapes in Truth or Carol in Carol.

In Carol, directed by Todd Haynes (Far from Heaven, I’m Not There), Cate Blanchett stars as Carol Aird – a middle-aged woman of wealth that’s in the midst of a messy divorce with her husband Harge (Kyle Chandler), whom has caught Carol having various affairs with other woman over the tenure of their marriage.

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

another.

Carol takes place during the 1950s – making this a same-sex romance tale during a period where such a relationship was frowned upon beyond comprehension.

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

Mountain.

On the other – it will surely cause plenty of duress to anyone that would prefer to not be subjected to such sexual exploration. Obviously, not everyone will enjoy the thought (or visuals) of being subjected to same-sex relationships. Get over it. But, whether you agree or disagree with the subject matter being depicted – the one thing you can’t do is take away from the fine performances of the film’s leads.

To that point – Cate Blanchett continues to be at the absolute top of her dramatic game. She’s emotionally captivating, possibly even more so than in her Oscar winning role in Blue Jasmine. Admittedly, Carol is far from the most likable character, but at least she’s true to herself. Carol is a character that lives in a state of self-acceptance – and navigates the difficult waters. But, she never stops fighting. She never submits to social standards – and Blanchett captures those qualities with such easy and pure brilliance.

Rooney Mara’s character, Therese, lives by another moral compass entirely. She’s initially trapped in a reluctatnt heterosexual relationship that she clearly has outgrown, though the moral hang-up for her is astronomical. Enter: Carol – and suddenly Therese is a “yes” woman, through and through. Therese takes every opportunity to break the mold – and while Mara’s deliveries aren’t always supercharged, they’re still powerful and enticing to witness.

Overall, Carol is a film that’s worth watching because of the inspiring performances by Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. On the flipside, Carol is taxing to endure on the entertainment value front, similar to Blue Jasmine. It has the tendency to be far too sluggish for its own good, despite director Toddy Haynes’ attempts to keep the film moving. Again, like Blue Jasmine, Carol projects an emotionally invested story – with an obvious intent to kick down sexual barriers. Still, Carol simply lacks the edge that’s now required to derail high impact competition during Oscar season (since Carol was obviously bred to obtain statues) – at least in comparison to competitors, which include The Revenant and Mad Max: Fury Road. In the end, Carol is far from a unique concept – but succeeds at putting its leading ladies atop the list of possible (and potentially favorite) Oscar contenders.