Carol

This adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's novel chronicles the burgeoning romance between Carol (Cate Blanchett), a divorcee in her forties, and Therese (Rooney Mara), a young aspiring photographer. Their chance encounter in a New York department store just before Christmas sparks an immediate, if unspoken, connection. They share knowing glances. Many more will follow, especially through photography. Phyllis Nagy's screenplay masterfully delays their romantic reunion, employing a flashback structure that underscores the weight of social constraints and the interference of Carol's possessive and manipulative husband. Nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay, and recipient of the 2015 Queer Palm, Carol offers a hopeful conclusion that challenges the often tragic depictions of lesbian relationships in cinema. Drawing inspiration from Douglas Sirk's melodramas, Todd Haynes pays homage to his predecessor while infusing the film with his own deep empathy for female characters.

Jeanne Modoux (CEC, UNIL).