“Carol” is a bitter-sweet movie about the realities of closeted gay white women in the 50s. Cate Blanchett (Carol) embodies the titular character well; she expresses the tension between the life she has to lead as against her desires. Carol meets Therese (Rooney Mara), a young aspiring photographer, working in a department store where she is shopping for a Christmas present for her daughter, and the chemistry between the two characters becomes instantly apparent. After Carol leaves her gloves at the counter, Therese mails them back to her, which allows the two to meet again.

Carol is going through a somewhat tumultuous divorce with her husband Harge (Kyle Chandler), and Therese is in a relationship with Richard (Jake Lacy), although she doesn’t quite know if she is really in love with him. When Carol invites Therese to her house, Harge sees Therese and becomes suspicious of her relationship with Carol. It turns out Carol had a previous relationship with her friend Abby (Sarah Paulson) and Harge found out about this. Harge tries to get Carol to come with him and their daughter Rindy (Sadie and KK Heim) to Florida for Christmas, but Carol does not oblige.

Harge wishes to invoke a “morality clause” against her, which would entail him exposing her homosexuality and giving him full custody of their child. He goes to the extent of hiring a private investigator, Tucker (Tommy Tucker), to get evidence against Carol in order to blackmail her. Carol discovers this after having consummated her love with Therese but is compelled to fight for custody of her daughter. Abby gives Therese a letter from Carol to explain the situation, and knowing the risks that would come with continuing the relationship, when Therese calls Carol, she hangs up to avoid risking Carol’s custody battle.

Therese, despite being heartbroken, gets a portfolio together with the encouragement from Richard and gets a job at the New York Times. In the meantime, Carol eventually admits before their divorce lawyers that she had a relationship with Therese; that she wants what’s best for Harge and although they weren’t happy in their marriage, they gave each other their daughter. So she is willing to give Harge full custody as it would be what’s best for Rindy, if she is allowed visits. Carol refuses to live against her own grain and pretends to be who she isn’t and asks what good that would do her daughter too.

Carol and Therese meet again, this time, Therese no longer filled with naivete but having experienced life and Carol, ready to live her truth. Carol asks Therese to move in with her, which Therese refuses at the time, but Carol confesses her love to her and asks her to meet her later if she wishes. Therese and Carol’s lunch is cut short by Therese’s long-lost friend who invites her to a party. But when Therese goes to that party, she realizes that the people there, although her peers, do not resonate with her, and she goes back to look for Carol, who smiles ever so lovingly upon seeing her return to her.

The performances by Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara were brilliant and cemented Carol as a classic. They portrayed the bravery that comes with following your heart, the bliss and happiness that comes when you get what you want, the heartache that comes with living in a world that doesn’t quite allow you to be who you are and the joy of transcending those limitations and still being able to live the life you want. The fact that in the 1950s, Carol is able to meet both Abby and Therese and nurture meaningful relationships goes to show that not only is their sexuality valid, but it’s so natural that these women did not have to go far and wide to find these relationships. A must watch movie.

Rating- 4.5 out of 5

Streaming on- Netflix/ Airtel Xstream/ Amazon Prime Video