Monday, December 28, 2015

Carol (2015)


Since the beginning, there has always been a layer of artifice between Todd Haynes and his audiences. From the Barbie® doll conceit of his Karen Carpenter biopic, all the way up to his Bob Dylan biopic where several different actors played the folk singer and several different film styles were employed, there has always been some sort of alienating element. While this is a wonderful way to make larger, intellectual points about an idea, it tends to inhibit full emotional involvement. Even his other 1950’s melodrama Far From Heaven suffers from the stilted air of pastiche. Thankfully, none of that is present in Carol

In this film, nothing comes between the audience and these wonderfully complex women. You become an active part of their forbidden love affair. You get to feel every single one of their emotions as though it were your own. But fear not, there is still subtext to be found. It’s no coincidence that the Eisenhower inauguration is on TV during a crucial scene of repression, it’s just more subtle than what we have come to expect from Haynes. Finally human beings get to be the real star of the show!

1 comment:

  1. Personally, I felt like the costumes and set dressing were the real star of this show. Amazing work.

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