Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Cate Blanchett | ... | Carol Aird | |
Rooney Mara | ... | Therese Belivet | |
Kyle Chandler | ... | Harge Aird | |
Sarah Paulson | ... | Abby Gerhard | |
Jake Lacy | ... | Richard Semco | |
John Magaro | ... | Dannie McElroy | |
Cory Michael Smith | ... | Tommy Tucker | |
Kevin Crowley | ... | Fred Haymes | |
Nik Pajic | ... | Phil McElroy | |
Carrie Brownstein | ... | Genevieve Cantrell | |
Trent Rowland | ... | Jack Taft | |
Sadie Heim | ... | Rindy Aird | |
Kk Heim | ... | Rindy Aird (as Kennedy Heim) | |
Amy Warner | ... | Jennifer Aird | |
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Michael Haney | ... | John Aird |
In an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's seminal novel The Price of Salt, CAROL follows two women from very different backgrounds who find themselves in an unexpected love affair in 1950s New York. As conventional norms of the time challenge their undeniable attraction, an honest story emerges to reveal the resilience of the heart in the face of change. A young woman in her 20s, Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara), is a clerk working in a Manhattan department store and dreaming of a more fulfilling life when she meets Carol (Cate Blanchett), an alluring woman trapped in a loveless, convenient marriage. As an immediate connection sparks between them, the innocence of their first encounter dims and their connection deepens. While Carol breaks free from the confines of marriage, her husband (Kyle Chandler) begins to question her competence as a mother as her involvement with Therese and close relationship with her best friend Abby (Sarah Paulson) come to light. Written by The Weinstein Company
Others have already mentioned the film's beauty, elegance, attention to period detail, acting etc. All amazing. As a gay man "of a certain age" I felt deep gratitude for the gift given by the artists who created this film. The direction is so subtle and effective, using the all the tools of film making to communicate information, meaning, and emotion.
Like Brokeback Mountain, this film turns cliché on its head and transcends the particulars of the protagonists' lives by illuminating more universal themes. It is a period/genre film that acts to balance well established tropes of its genre, a powerful corrective to SO MANY previous films that repeated the same old false, stereotypical, and often tragic images of gay lives. Beyond merely telling some real truth, Carol has so much to say about strength, resilience, and the possibility of finding joy in difficult circumstances. As such, it was deeply satisfying to this viewer.