Carol

Well, there are at least a couple every year I suppose. 

Last year it was Boyhood and to some extent, Birdman. This year, Carol really seems like the first one. 

"First one of what?", you may be asking? Films that I believe the "professional" critics blow completely out of proportion with regard to their reviews/opinions/scores. These are films that are never really bad by any definition of the word, but they also aren't the second coming of Christ like many reviewers would have you believe. 

Carol falls into this trap. It seems like it was made for the sole purposes of award-deciding audiences and while I did find a few things to enjoy about the film, it was also painfully dull and forgettable. Despite what critics may have you believe, I didn't find Carol to be anything special, nor is it the best film of the year. 

Carol is the simple story of two women who fall in love. I found the slow burn of their interest for each other interesting to watch. When Therese (Rooney Mara) and Carol (Cate Blanchett) first see each other, there is some obvious chemistry. By way of chance and some purpose, they become friends and their friendship grows until it blossoms into a romance. It feels natural and that's mainly because of the performances from Mara and Blanchett, which are easily the absolute best things in the film. Blanchett plays an almost cougar-esque, slighter older woman who has some conflict in her life with her mid-divorced husband. Blanchett, as always, is the pinnacle of class and elegance and she's also quite sultry here, seducing the younger, innocent Mara. Mara's Therese is a very confused girl, unsure of what she wants in life, even once she meets Carol. Her innocence makes her sweet and genuine though, making her an appropriate counter to Carol's confidence. 

Number of cigarettes smoked in the film: 17,256,478.23

I'm sad Lord of the Rings is over too, Cate!

Their romance is a special one in a rather unspectacular movie. They share solid chemistry in their romantic scenes and joy, heartbreak, etc. in scenes that call for it. The film is free of much conflict, though there is some during the latter half, but Carol eventually handles it so easily that it seemed to have little effect on anything. Couple that with a somewhat abrupt and loose ending and by the end of it all Carol only felt like an elongated how-they-met story of a couple. 

This is a well made film, there's no doubt about that. The cinematography was gorgeous most of the time, though I did find the framing of a few shots to be odd. The period settings were also done well and the whole thing is complimented nicely by a great original score. But God, was I bored. Mind you, this wasn't boredom because there weren't lightsabers or blaster pistols. I've been genuinely excited for this film for a couple months simply because of the stellar reviews, and because I enjoy Mara and Blanchett. Carol is two hours long, but felt like three to me, and that's even tied with the fact that it was a free screening where I was able to bide the time with some (also free) popcorn. Its pacing is even, I'll give it that, but slow. It takes its time to build the romance, which is the point, but that doesn't make it any less obvious that I think this entire story could have been told with 30 minutes less runtime. 

"Wait...you're Santa Claus?"

At the end of it all, I can harp on Carol all I want, but I think it's pretty obvious that this just isn't my kind of film. Call it ADD or lack of attention, what have you, but I need more to happen in my movies. I need more conflict -- more reason to care. Carol didn't give me that, but I completely understand how this is the critical darling of 2015. Sometimes, I'm just a bit of a different critic than the ones that actually get paid to do it. 

Where they hail Carol as one of the best films of 2015, I conclude that it was one of the most boring.

CONS:

• From start to finish, I didn't feel as if much really happened other than two women falling in love. The film does little more to explore past their initial relationship
• The film would have you believe there is a decent amount of conflict, but there isn't as Carol handles it all pretty easily once it's all said and done
• Slow to build with an ending that offers little payoff
• A few oddly framed shots

PROS:

• Mara and Blanchett give stellar performances (as usual) and really make the film better than it actually is 
• Their chemistry is also very well orchestrated mainly because their characters are well-mapped opposites of each other. Their differences play well into each other and make the romance feel genuine
• Great original score
• Very strong cinematography for the most part
• Solid time period settings

Rath's Review Score: 6.5/10