Carol Movie Review

Carol (2015)

Rent Carol on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Phyllis Nagy (screenplay), Patricia Highsmith (novel) 
Directed by: Todd Haynes
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Kyle Chandler
Rated: R
Watch the trailer

Plot
Therese falls for an older woman Carol.

Verdict
Carol is a love story, and it never focuses on the fact that it's a love story between two females. Mara and Blanchett do a fantastic job and the script is well written. While it feels very real, that also makes the movie a slow burn.
It depends.

Review
This is in the same vein as Todd Haynes previous film Far From Heaven (2002), both films are set in the '50s and depict a socially forbidden relationship.
Therese is enamored with Carol upon first sight. They meet, and despite the awkwardness of their visits, Therese keeps seeing Carol. Therese is young and just following Carol's lead. Carol has a daughter and a strenuous relationship with her daughter's husband. She finds somebody she likes, and somebody that likes her back in Therese.

Carol - Love, life, and loss.

As Carol and Therese pull together, it pulls them away from their other relationships. Therese has no one she can talk to about it. Carol is isolating her, and in turn is becoming the person Therese talks to.
While it feels accurate, the pace is slow. Therese and Carol drift apart, and meet once again in the movie's climax. It's very well done.

I've seen all of best picture Oscar nominees save for Bridge of Spies, and this has been the most underwhelming. If you like the romance genre and love stories, I'm sure you'll enjoy this more than I did.