Movie Review: ‘Carol’ beautifully crafted and acted

It is a special treat when a drama takes you beyond passive observer to feeling like you’ve made the journey.

“Carol” supplies such an experience.

Director Todd Haynes has created in “Carol” a world so rich in texture, design and mood that it is easy to fall into its loving arms and get enveloped in its story of love and loss. The art direction, costume design and cinematography are so brilliant and honest, it is as if Haynes had found a movie shot a half century ago and dusted it off for a modern audience.

Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara turn in Oscar-worthy performances (Blanchett was a best actress nominee and Mara was a nominee in the best supporting actress category) as two women fighting against, but eventually giving in to, their emotional connection despite living in the world of the 1950s where such relationships are taboo.

Therese (Mara) is a mousy department store clerk who is as hesitant to expose her true sexual nature as she is to pursue her passion for photography. The first glimmer she can act on both comes in the form of high-society shopper Carol (Blanchett). Their initial meeting is fleeting but charged with deep emotions.

Haynes invites the audience to ride along with the pair as they make their way through a perilous time and place.

The look of the film — from the stitching on the clothes to the toys under the Christmas tree — resonate with a truth that is vital because of the nature of the script by Phyllis Nagy, based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith. The topic of same-sex relationships has become so regularly used in modern film and TV shows that the pain and suffering so many endured no longer seems as poignant.

Things aren’t perfect in the world, but movies like “Carol” are a necessary and important reminder of the progress that has been made. Films like this are vital to remind us of the emotional slavery so many faced.

The actors take advantage of this perfect setting to become lost in their characters. Even the few years that separate the women is an example of how society’s views were beginning to change.

Blanchett’s character is smothered by her fears that the world will discover her nature. Her fear is only heightened when her ex-husband (Kyle Chandler) uses their child as a heart-breaking weapon against Carol. Chandler turns in a strong performance, but unfortunately, because of the way the movie is structured, there’s just not enough for him to do, and he’s reduced to just being the foil.

That’s not a problem because Haynes knows that the heart and soul of this movie come from his two main actors. Seeing Mara and Blanchett slowly reveal their hopes and pains is like being invited into their secret world. Haynes paints a beautiful view and bitter reminder of the time.

Just like a tiny chip in a masterpiece, “Carol” has a small flaw. Sarah Paulson, who plays Carol’s confidant and former companion, plays the role with just a little too much 21st century understanding. She doesn’t seem as true to the world she has been placed in as the other women.

“Carol” is that rare example of a film that is nearly flawless in design, story and performances. The emotional conflicts are as powerful as any summer movie explosion, the scenery more fascinating than any elaborate sci-fi offering, and the acting eclipses the majority of performances that pass for high quality.

This story was originally published March 16, 2016 at 7:45 PM with the headline "Movie Review: ‘Carol’ beautifully crafted and acted."