Steve Reviews Carol

A good movie starts with a screenplay.  Actually, any movie starts with a screenplay, but the good ones are usually good BECAUSE of the screenplay. As my screenwriting teacher once explained to me: The story you are telling needs to show the most important part of the characters' lives. In other words, if the characters are just living their lives and nothing happens, why would anyone want to sit and watch that for two hours?

The story of Carol is pretty simple. In the 1950's, a woman tries to decide if she likes other girls more than her husband.  Does that sound like the most important part of this character's life? Maybe... Does it sound like something you want to sit for two hours and watch? Maybe not.

Cate Blanchett plays Carol. She meets Rooney Mara's character at a department store, and they spend 30 minutes or so of screen time deciding if they should stop being flirty and get their lesbian on. Meanwhile, Carol's husband is threatening to take her child away. That's it.

Let's look at all the things that have led to award season buzz and accolades thus far: It's a period piece. Lesbians were taboo in the 1950s. They are all the rage now, but if we make it secretive, as if it's actually a legal crime and not just a social one, someone will think the story is "edgy" and nominate it. Next, it's got Cate Blanchett being dramatic. If it were not actually Cate in this role, would anyone still care? And why, exactly, is she being praised for this role? Her two Oscars have come for roles that required some work. In this one, she does a bit of crying, a bunch of talking funny - like a caricature of someone from the 50s - and a boat-load of smoking. Sounds like a nomination to me!

The best part of the film, other than when the end credits rolled, was actually the score. Carter Burwell has scored dozens of film (including almost all, if not actually all, of the Coen brothers' films) and the great Mildred Pierce miniseries that ran on HBO. He's great at capturing both a period of time and a mood in his work. This film is no exception. The score seems to always fit what's going on (and please hold your jokes about that amounting to no score at all).

I imagine Burwell will get a nomination for his work. I imagine Blanchett will too. Only because she's an Academy darling, and not because she did anything spectacular. If the film gets a Best Picture nomination, it's strictly a place-holder.

-Steve
1.12.2016