CAROL - review

Director: Todd Haynes
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Kyle Chandler

Synopsis: 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 1950's New York. As conventional norms of the time challenge their undeniable attraction, an honest storey emerges 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 her 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. 

Another Golden Globe Best Picture nominee that I had to wait to see until after the Globes had aired, because Australia. I took myself off to see CAROL in my movie marathon week (5 films in 2 days) and whilst I was expecting it to be good, I was surprised at just how good it was. I love Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara has been growing on my over the years, and Sarah Paulson and Kyle Chandler are highly underrated in my opinion. The four of them coupled with a glorious screenplay by Phyllis Nagy (adapted from Patricia Highsmith's novel) and incredible direction of Todd Haynes brings about a seriously powerful film, and one of the saddest pieces of cinema I have seen in quite a while.

A chance encounter in a department store changes these women's lives forever

Image via The Weinstein Company

Two women have a chance encounter in a department store that changes both their lives forever. The beginning was a little predictable - Carol (Blanchett) leaves her gloves, Therese (Mara) returns them love ensues. However, after that initial little bit of predictability, I let myself get swept up in the story and I was transported to another world. Todd Haynes has directed an incredible piece of cinema with a lovely crafted script by Phyllis Nagy, I'm intrigued to read to book to see how close to the original text the film is. The pace of CAROL is quite slow, but not in a negative way. It really gives you time to think, absorb and wallow in the emotions of the story as you're being swept away in the lives of Carol and Therese. 

CAROL is highly emotional and Haynes has brought out some wonderful performances from Blanchett and Mara. The chemistry between Carol and Therese is palpable if not somewhat disturbing. A young 20 something woman captivated by an alluring older woman, and at first you think that perhaps Carol is taking advantage, but then you see that Carol's feelings are equal to if not more fierce than Therese's. CAROL brings out all the feels, they share a once in a life time love at first sight love with no explanation, but no explanation is needed. 

One simple touch can convey so many emotions 

Image via The Weinstein Company

CAROL shows the very real power of a mother's love, Carol's husband uses their daughter as a pawn in their relationship, taking her away because of Carol's immoral behaviour. I can't imagine the pain that would bring to someone, but the fierce love of a mother forces Carol to make a choice between her daughter and her own happiness. I was caught up in the sadness of the situation, sympathy and empathy, and the anger and injustice of it all. Immoral behaviour?! What a crock. That was the time I guess...1950's New York, I'm not surprised, but still, what a crock. 

Kyle Chandler and Cate Blanchett - one in love and one out of love

Image via The Weinstein Company

CAROL takes you on a journey through love, exploration of self, pain, anger and heartache. I really love the subtlety in this film, the long lingering looks, the powerful underlying score, the incredible cinematography and the exquisite costuming. In fact, there isn't much that I didn't love about this film.  There are no surprises to me for the nominations that CAROL has received by the Academy, however I am outraged that it didn't receive a Best Picture nomination, outraged I tell you!!

Blanchett and Mara are both deserving of their nominations for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress respectively. I would love to say that Blanchett will win, however I think she has tough competition in Jennifer Lawrence and Brie Larson. Only time will tell, as I've yet to see Brie. Larson in her nominated role (bring on next week), but I think that Lawrence did a lovely job in JOY. 

Do yourself a favour and hand over the 20-something dollars at your local picture house to see CAROL. It was beautiful, captivating, moving and truly a magnificent piece of cinema. However, if you're opposed to lesbianism like the woman who was sat next to me in the cinema tut-tutting and being generally outraged about it the whole time, then do everyone else a favour and stay home. 

4 out of 5 

Xoxo

The Blonde Bombshell

CINDERELLA - review

CINDERELLA
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Cast: Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden, Helena Bonham Carter

For those of you who know me, you know that I am one of the maddest Disney fanatics out there. I own everything on DVD (not including sequels, because ew) including some of the more obscure titles like MELODY TIMES and THE MAGIC TOASTER. So, I was ever so excited when I found out about the new live action CINDERELLA and I was hoping against all hope that it would be amazing and I was not disappointed.

It opened on Thursday, and I got up early on Friday (my only sleep in day for the week), popped over to the Sun Theatre in Yarraville to go and see the first session of the day because I could not wait until lunch time. My usual movie going partner was working on Friday, but that's ok because I love a solo movie date, and the quiet enjoyment of an almost empty cinema the first session of the day brings, with no popcorn crunchers, confectionary packet rustlers or annoying commentators. Anyway, enough about me...let me tell you about CINDERELLA.

Kenneth Branagh has done an incredible job with the telling of this classic fairy tale and while there were a few little twists in there that don't appear in the original Disney cartoon version, but they add a little something to the magic of the story. What I really liked about this version of Cinderella is that in today's world of cynics and non-believers, there is no weird ironic twist where the happily ever after doesn't happen. I still love a good happily ever after and I still believe that one day I'll get my own happily ever after, but there are a lot of people who don't think that their ever after will end happily, so I was mightily pleased that Ella's ever after does end happily.

Ella and Kit in their wedding attire

This re-imagining of the classic tale tells the story of Ella (Lily James), her courage and kindness as she suffers the loss of her parents and the trials and tribulations of living with her "evil" stepmother and stepsisters. What Branagh's version also does is look at the reasons why Ella's father remarried, why her stepmother (Cate Blanchett) was so "evil" (and I put this in inverted commas because I don't think she truly was evil, she was hardened by circumstance), and why the King wanted his son to marry so badly.

We watch three people die in this film (Ella's parents and the King) and we feel their loss acutely as it is shown and explored on screen. I'm not going to lie, I had more than a few tears, as all three deaths got me right in the feels. I don't recall the King ever dying in a depiction of Cinderella before, but it truly added to the story, by really explaining his motivations for pushing a marriage on Kit (aka Prince Charming played by Richard Madden - hello hottie).

This film is so incredibly beautiful to watch, that even if the script happened to be a little how's your father (which it wasn't) I wouldn't have minded. The set, countryside and costuming were absolutely incredible and I was captivated by the beauty and magic that was depicted through these things alone.

look at that - I mean really, it's beautiful - Ella and Kit meeting for the first time

There were a few wonderful throw backs to the animated Disney classic which made me giddy with excitement, like the sneaky little bobbity, bobbity boo from the Fairy Godmother (Helena Bonham Carter) in the transformation sequence, and the mice helping Ella prepare her gown for the ball.

The Fairy Godmother appears as a poor beggar woman looking for a bit to eat and a glass of milk and she puts it so beautifully when she says "what is a cup of milk? Nothing. But kindness makes it everything" and she is right. The simplest things that are nothing to most people can become everything when given or done out of kindness, something which Ella does not lack. The characterisation of Bonham Carter's Fairy Godmother provides for some lovely comedic relief in this film, but part of the script that I thought was a little so-so because it didn't quite seem to fit with the rest of the film. It was lovely and funny and well done, but it seemed to me a little out of place.

Bonham Carter as the Fairy Godmother

The Fairy Godmother narrates this tale, and ties it all together so nicely. There isn't a whole lot of narration through the film, but where it does appear it is well placed and adds to the telling of the tale. 

After the Ella and Kit meet for the first time the chemistry between them is palpable and they truly are captivated by one another. It didn't seem forced or fake, and that made me want all the more for them to get their happily ever after (even though of course I knew it was coming). Kit agrees to find a bride at the request of the King because he knows his father is dying and he loves his father terribly (it was nice to see him copping it right in the feels like a real man), but as a compromise he ensures that all the maidens of the land are invited in the hopes that he might find Ella again.   

The Stepmother aspires to marry one of her two pretty, but stupid daughters to the prince at the ball, and as in the classic tale prevents Ella from going to the ball by ruining her dress and riding off in the carriage without her. 

Stepmother and daughters at the ball

Ella's fairy godmother has other plans and transforms the pumpkin into the coach, the mice into horses, lizards into footmen and a goose into the coachman. Ella makes off for the ball, but not without the reminder that the magic will wear off at the last stroke of midnight. What I loved about the transformations is that each of the newly transformed animals carries a little something of their former animal self - the lizards have green hands, the goose has a very beak-like nose and the mice have mouse like ears as horses. 

Ella makes a magical entrance into the ball and everything just stops, as they all turn to see who it is that has captured the prince's attention. 

what a dress...what a carriage...gorgeous

The two spend a magical evening together (cue secret garden and giant swing bathed in moonlight),

look at them, they're so in love

and at the stroke of midnight Ella runs off leaving behind her glass slipper - the only clue the Kit has to try and find her. Another lovely throw back was the use of the original song A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes as they dance together at the ball. It took me a little minute to pick it, but I was all like "awww".  

don't worry they're more comfortable than they look!

The Stepmother finds out that Ella is the mystery girl, and strikes up an evil plan with the Grand Duke that she will hide Ella from the prince as long as she is given a title and advantageous marriages for her daughters, and she does her very best to keep her end of the bargain. The Grand Duke travels all the land trying the slipper on the foot of every maiden, all the while knowing exactly where Ella is. That of course all comes to a crashing end when they discover Ella and the glass slipper fits her foot and Kit whisks her away to be married. 

There is nothing unknown or really original about this film (it even includes Lucifer the cat), and that's ok with me. I am a traditional Disney girl and I like my Disney films just as they are, but the couple of little twists and little additions to the storyline only increased the magic for me. 

Overall, as a true Disney fan I really loved the live action CINDERELLA, and I would highly recommend paying the 20-something dollars to go see it. Provided of course that you, like me, enjoy a Disney film and you love a good happily ever after. Even if you don't love a good happily ever after, go and see it anyway, maybe it will restore your faith in happily ever afters, or maybe you will get a kick out of being a cynical, non-believer (I secretly am hoping it will give you a little bit more faith, nobody likes a hater). I loved it, and I'm going to go and see it a second time with two little princesses who I know will love it just as much as me!

4 out of 5 

xoxo

The Blonde Bombshell