Carol: Extended Cut

Hey, thanks for reading our take on Carol and coming over to the extended cut! Read on for our individual takes on the movie. We’d love to hear your thoughts – you can comment on this post or tweet us at @ThePopcornWaltz. Happy Reading!

Adi’s Take

To be or not be, a conformist

Conforming to social norms or not is an underlying tension in Carol’s narrative, where we see both characters dealing in equal parts with the desire to belong and to break away. Right at the beginning we’re shown Therese’s non-conformist self, when she doesn’t put on the ‘santa hat’ unlike everyone else at the toy store. Then she goes on to say that she preferred train sets to dolls as a child, again moving away from the ‘girls love dolls’ stereotype, but without any over-dramatization or being labeled a ‘tomboy’. When Carol inquires does she know a lot about train sets, Therese self-consciously answers ‘yes’ and attributes her knowledge to reading and immediately remarks that she ‘reads too much probably’. Another societal construct about women and their ability to read. We’re shown Therese wants to be a photographer which was a largely male dominated profession at the time. She is also the only one to mention same sex love in the film and actually has a conversation with her boyfriend to hear what he thinks, which does appear rather daring for the time the movie is based in. Her unique non-conformism is pointed out by Carol many times when she says that Therese has been ‘flung out of space’ or ‘what a strange one’ she is or how ‘she is full of surprises’. Against this you see Carol as a struggling conformist – mourning over the burnt turkey, trying to fit in the moulds of the perfect wife and mother, trapped within social and familial norms of class, upbringing and gender. When she picks up a job, decides to live life on her own terms – she moves away from her conformist self, but doesn’t break away from all socio-economic norms.

The journey

The metaphor of a journey is used all through in Carol – there’s the trip Carol and Therese go on and then there’s the larger journey they undertake that shapes them through their shared experiences, as the story of ‘Carol’ unfolds. Therese’s journey is definitely the more linear one, as she goes from adolescent like self doubt, to exploring her sexuality, discovering her inner strength and finding her place in relation to her world. Carol’s journey on the other hand is a lot more complex, as it goes back and forth. We meet Carol as a middle aged woman, whose ten year old marriage is ending and her daughter is the center of her universe. Losing all that had defined her identity thus far – her marriage, the construct of a ‘normal’ life and most importantly her daughter, Rindy, who is the fulcrum of her being, truly puts her out of her comfort zone.

Thus Carol becomes a story that’s not just about the struggles of two lesbian women in the 1950s, but the story of women who choose to not conform to social expectations and give themselves a real shot at a fuller life. We see Carol move from being the seductress at the beginning of the film, to a broken woman seeking companionship on a journey with no clear destination in mind to giving up her desire to be herself to salvage what she loves most. And eventually going back to the strength within to stand up for her happiness, and not being miserable ‘living against her grain’. She is the one to start from scratch and rediscover her place in the world again, as she moves houses, cities and roles becoming a single, working woman and for the first time really, being her own master. Carol’s story is rife with emotion and you can’t help but stand beside her as Cate Blanchett takes you on this journey with incredible beauty and grace.

Expression of love

To me, Carol’s a love story. And the delicacy with which the expression of love is handled is fascinating. There are no long declarations of undying love, of staying faithful and committed, there is no use of any known cliches to tell us how they feel for each other and yet you cannot miss the intensity of their feelings. If I were to romanticize them falling in love, I’d tell you that it felt like a slow, long walk in central park on a fall morning with nothing but beauty of the changing colors around you. Cate Blanchett is this mysterious woman with an air of surreal around her, that you can’t help but gawk at. You simply cannot take your eyes off her and neither can Rooney Mara! But if I had to pick a moment, the moment when Therese falls in love with Carol, that would be when she captures Carol being Carol, oblivious of how captivating she is to Therese who is completely smitten by her. Therese takes her first picture of a person instead of the inanimate world she’s been fascinated with so far and all this is told through their eyes and the wonderful soundtrack by Carter Burwell. What makes it even more poignant is that perhaps, Therese herself doesn’t know the name of this feeling yet. And there isn’t a point in the film, where we’re shown her struggle with these feelings – Therese just flows with it, to love or not to love Carol is not a question for her.

As with most other things in the film, this is not an easy path for Carol, whose ‘moment’ is a lot harder to pick. She is the one who gets to say the magic words, only to be rudely interrupted by reality. What could have been a cathartic moment for the characters and the audience, is sharply taken away as Carol leaves, without getting an answer. A sparseness of dialogue runs through the film, which is eloquently replaced by the background score. And such is the case with the ending of the film, where you see Carol and Therese look at each other and their eyes emote everything from surprise to anguish and the essence of the film is locked in Cate Blanchett’s smile, that says nothing, but says it all.

Abby & Carol

One could really write an entire post on Abby and Carol’s relationship and it’s handling by Todd Haynes. Sarah Paulson, plays Carol’s childhood friend, Rindy’s godmother and her first lesbian lover. But really we are shown Abby as Carol’s alter ego. Abby is wise for her years, strong through her experiences and capable of being practical and rational and emotional when required. She is the one with no regrets, who knows what she is doing, who’s comfortable with her sexuality and is living the life she wants, not answerable to anyone but herself. She is shown as Carol’s support system, her voice of reason. Abby is the only person she speaks to about the ridiculous ‘morality clause’ (trust us it’s as crazy as it sounds.) Abby is also the only character Carol trusts enough to speak about Therese. When Carol’s world slips under her feet, she calls Abby to seek advice and solace, even though she is with Therese at that moment. And Abby knows this, but there is no judgement, no bitterness, just unconditional love and loyalty.

There’s a scene where you see Carol and Abby walk down the staircase, with their faces away from the camera, their arms interlocked – there is more solidarity, more support, more kindred spirit in those few steps, than anywhere else in the film. Abby is Carol’s confidant, her agony aunt, her one supporter that she couldn’t take calls without. In a scene early on, Abby asks Carol to tell her she knows what she is doing and Carol just says ‘No I don’t. I never did’. This exchange is a summary of their bond – candid, brutally honest, without fear of judgement or isolation. In some ways, I feel I know a lot more about the dynamics of the Abby – Carol relationship, than I do of Therese and Carol’s, and that’s something to say about it.

Sahil’s Take

The Gaze

Carol’s camerawork is intricately woven into the storytelling and perhaps a theme that stood out the most for me. The movie opens to a zoomed-in shot of the subway/sidewalk grate which appears like a gate, an interesting view on how perspectives and understanding can differ with relativity or your vantage point.

The film uses the camerawork to highlight two different ‘gazes’, so to speak, where on one hand you see how others around Carol and Therese view them, and how when they’re together, they look at each other. The movie is so focused on the two characters that the camera is literally eavesdropping into their world. The film starts with an unknown man who walks in on a conversation between Carol and Therese, where his interruption is literally how you’re introduced to the two protagonists, establishing the gaze of the world upon them and how that’s a constant intrusion.

Then there are scenes where you see Carol and Therese together, like their car journey, where the camera shows you sides of each as if it was the gaze of one following the other, like Therese following Carol’s hand as she drives or Carol looking at Therese through the corner of her eyes, while driving. There is this intense sense of intimacy that the cinematography is building without being intrusive at all. Interestingly, a scene in the movie is repeated twice when Carol and Therese meet at The Ritz Tower Hotel, where in the first instance we are shown Therese’s gaze and Carol’s the second time. Another highlight of the movie is how it begins with Therese and ends with Carol, the object and subject of Therese’s desire.

The motif of journey

Carol covers both a literal and a metaphorical journey for both its characters. You see a real journey, a sexual journey and a life journey, especially for Therese whose part in the film can be divided in three acts. The first where she can barely ‘decide her own meal’ and does mostly what she’s told to, the second one where she develops a relationship with Carol and can coyly suggest they take the presidential suite ‘if the price is attractive’ to Carol to the final act, where she comes out shaken and begins her life anew, taking a slew of decisions from painting her house to moving out of a relationship with her boyfriend, Richard (played by Jake Lacy), to realizing her dream as a photographer and working at the Times, her evolution is clearly marked throughout the film.

A gentle seduction

You can’t miss how Carol’s literally drawing Therese out, gently seducing her, with each meeting the two have. For Therese, Carol captures her imagination the first time she sees her in the toy store, and is enraptured by this woman who’s languidity and charm are at odds with her own lack of both! You can’t miss Cate Blanchett’s evocative eyes in the movie, that would have everyone falling for her.

Of course, Carol finds Rooney a very intriguing girl, allured by her unworldly innocence and caged desire, a girl ‘full of surprises’. The intimacy the two share increases as their journey west progresses, with Therese suggesting they stay together rather than taking two rooms and Carol teaching her the ’ways of women’, from makeup to perfumes. By then, you know the question is not if, but rather when.

Their intimacy rises like a crescendo, the sexual tension palpable, and though Therese’s desire is visible, she doesn’t really know how to express it until Carol breaks the barrier and unties her robe. Interestingly, it’s Therese who tells Carol to take her to bed but it’s Carol the experienced woman who you see on top. The lovemaking scene, nearly two and a half minutes long, is shot very artistically and captures the intensity between Carol and Therese, not making one awkward which happens a number of times when you see a sloppy sex scene.

I am quite sure there was a wave of disappointment at not being able to see Cate Blanchett naked after you see Rooney Mara! Perhaps Todd Haynes just couldn’t get Cate Blanchett to agree and had to make do with showing just her back 😉

You don’t need weak men

The movie features four noticeable male characters, Harge Aird (Carol’s husband), Richard Semco (Therese’s boyfriend), Dannie McElroy (Therese’s friend) and Fred Haymes (Carol’s lawyer) none of who measure up to the women. It almost feels like the absence of strong male characters is by design to show the strength of the women. I believe you don’t need weak men in the background to show strong women and wish the film had taken that stand too.

Harge is shown raging in almost every scene where all he wants is to take Carol away with him. He loves Carol in his own weird way but his desire to possess her and preserve a false sense of ‘that happily married couple hosting parties and dining among friends’ is so important that he can’t take Carol not wanting the same. He’s like a whining, cranky child who doesn’t want to let go of his toy, while Carol is shown to be at another plane of understanding altogether who can admit that she didn’t make Harge as happy but ultimately wants the best for their child. Richard on the other hand is another petulant kid, fixated with the idea of possessing Therese, marrying her and taking her to Europe, almost as unexciting as a cardboard cutout.

Characters as strong as Carol and Therese don’t need a handicap and I wish Todd Haynes had taken some creative liberty with the story and shown at least one strong male in the mix. It feels like the male characters weren’t really fleshed out. Harge comes close but fades in comparison to Abby, Carol’s friend who has an extremely impressive role in the movie.

Until next time, keep the popcorn tub handy!

Adi & Sahil

To be or not to be, Carol.

Carol is perhaps the ‘artsiest’ (we know it’s not a word!) of all Oscar nominations this year. It isn’t the most riveting film you’d come across, but one crafted with incredible finesse, showcasing the gaze of two lovers on each other, and an enchanting performance by Cate Blanchett. It’s a slow film, that takes it’s own sweet time to build, but the intensity is what keeps you hooked.

Here’s some basic dope on Carol. The screenplay, written by Phyllis Nagy over 11 years (heck yes!) is an adaptation from a novel called ‘The Price of Salt’ by Patricia Highsmith. If that doesn’t get you a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, then what does?! Todd Haynes directed Carol beautifully to cinema screens and into the hearts of critics and has had a fabulous award season with many directorial accolades coming his way. Carol was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, where interestingly Rooney Mara shared the Best Actress award.

Well, the Academy didn’t seem as taken with Carol, and it missed out on both Best Picture and Best Director nominations and that’s a shame. We watched The Martian recently and thought, if that’s a Best Picture nominee, there’s no way Carol didn’t make the cut! But we gotta say, this is true to the history of Academy awards, where there is little celebration for women lead films (think The Iron Lady, Erin Brockovich, Julie & Julia) or movies that explore homosexuality (think Philadelphia, Milk). And Carol is both, so guess that ain’t really a winning combination. These films mostly find recognition through the stellar work done by actors, that convinces a largely conservative, male led Academy to acknowledge their work (think Natalie Portman for Black Swan, Sean Penn for Milk, Meryl Streep in The Iron Lady, Tom Hanks in Philadelphia). In similar fashion, Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara have both been nominated for Best Actor in a leading and supporting role, respectively. Most such films are either ignored or at best get a nomination for the coveted – Best Picture and Director awards.

We’ve seen Carol twice and the standout parts both times have been fairly consistent. The film revolves around the two protagonists – Carol Aird (played by Cate Blanchett) and Therese Belivet (played by Rooney Mara). It’s a tale of these two different women, in age, experience, social class, sexual awareness, sense of self and their twin journeys through the course of the film. We’re shown the world primarily from their vantage points and the cinematography creates this illusion of intimacy throughout the film. Carol’s set in the 1950’s and the sense of a period is reinforced in everything from the artwork to the costumes to the muted colors. This dullness of backdrop is wonderfully contrasted by Cate Blanchett’s bright reds and oranges.

Carol is full of moments, accentuated by its beautiful background score given by Carter Burwell, with a sparseness of dialogue that’s refreshing. When we thought of one standout moment in the film, we both instantly went back to Therese’s first meeting with Carol. Carol is the affluent, meticulously dressed woman, who walks into the toy store with an air of mystery around her. She is instantly the object of desire and we see that in Therese’s gaze. Carol is leaving after the transaction, when she turns and points at Therese’s santa hat and says in stage whisper ‘I like the hat’. In that moment, we were just as smitten as Therese and said out loud ‘Cate Blanchett is frickin’ awesome!’.

Where’s the climax in Carol – is a question we’ve thought a whole lot about and it’s hard to say which moment in the last 15 minutes of the film holds it. Is it the scene at the lawyer’s, which is really the only scene where Carol pours her heart out in as many words or is it when she tells Therese she loves her or is it in Therese’s slow dazed walk towards Carol, who truly looks like a dream? We could not agree on one and maybe that’s how hard it will be for you too 🙂

To us, Carol’s a love story. It’s not talking of activism or rebellion for rebellion’s sake or celebrating the desire to be different – it’s really just showing us how two people met and the turn their lives take. In the choices they make, both forced and otherwise, is a commentary on their lives and times and perhaps by extension our lives and times today. It’s like reading a book, that makes you think and ponder and start a conversation, but not something that enrages you and we really appreciated that. We wonder how different Carol would be, if it was set in the present. It’s really the story of two women choosing happiness, which makes Carol, almost unexpectedly, a triumph of love, of the freedom to be true to your grain.

Adi & Sahil

P.S. We had a lot to say about Carol and so we did! If you’d like to read our individual takes, check out our ‘extended cut’. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the movie and what you loved and what you didn’t. Send us your comments or tweet us at @ThePopcornWaltz. Until next time, keep the popcorn tub handy!

The Oscars Challenge!

As we’ve already established, we love watching films. Which also means that we have a love/hate relationship with the big ‘awards season’. Whether it’s the BAFTA or the Golden Globes, the SAG or the Oscars – each one has been known to have it’s moments when they seem to have completely lost the plot! But that doesn’t stop us from following them year after year. ‘Tis the season to root for our favorites and then feel intense although short lived, spurts of happiness or disappointment depending on the outcome. Whether the awards are fair game or just celebrate the inner circle is a historical debate, we’re definitely not getting into here – but they are surely a source of entertainment, excitement and exuberance.

The other thing these awards always end up doing is giving us an end of year movie watching list, the lesser heard, lesser advertised, outside of Marvel’s superheroes, fast and furious gang films (think Carol, Whiplash, The Pianist). And for the last many many years we’ve tried (unsuccessfully) to watch all films that emerge as contenders before the awards, just so we can say ‘I told you so’ when some of them win and some of them don’t 😉 So this year when we decided to start The Popcorn Waltz – it was only right to begin by undoing the wrong of years past. And we’re gonna do that by playing what we’re calling ‘The Oscars Challenge’, a name born at the lowest pits of our creative thinking :/

This is how it works. We’ve shortlisted 12 of the 20 odd Oscar nominated movies this year, primarily based on whether their trailers looked intriguing, but also how many categories they were nominated in and other logistical details. We have 5 weeks till Feb 28th to watch all 12 of these films, write about them and come up with our predictions. And what’s even better is you can play along! Watch any/all of these films and tell us what you think and when we open the poll for our predictions – please, please vote. It’s a super tight schedule, so let’s get started.

Here’s our list of films, if we’re missing something that’s a must watch let us know and we’ll try our best to incorporate:

  1. Carol
  2. Spotlight
  3. Bridge of Spies
  4. The Martian
  5. Mad Max: Fury Road
  6. Steve Jobs
  7. The Revenant
  8. The Big Short
  9. The Danish Girl
  10. Room
  11. Brooklyn
  12. Ex Machina

Not your Siskel and Ebert.

Hey there! Thanks for stopping by and welcome to The Popcorn Waltz 🙂

Whether you love going to the movies or bringing them home, the experience is like nothing else. They take you to another world, captivate your imagination for a brief but exciting period of time, and then leave you with the feeling ‘this ride could’ve gone on for just a bit longer’. Well, not all movies make you feel that way, but you get the drift. Not every performance stays with you like Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone, or Al Pacino as Lt. Col. Frank Slade and unfortunately you can never unsee Adam Sandler in ‘You don’t mess with the Zohan’! So as they say, you can love’em or hate’em, but you can hardly ignore them.

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Till next time when you refill the tub and pop in the film!