Carol(2015)

Submitted by Julio M

Short pooper:
The liaison between Carol (Cate Blanchett) and Therese (Rooney Mara) creates complications for Carol when her estranged husband, Harge (Kyle Chandler), is given proof of it, leading to a divorce and custody battle. Both women are forced to stop seeing each other and Therese gets a job at the New York Times. Later, however, they slowly reconnect and seem to get back together at a dinner.

Longer version:
Therese, who appears confused and uncertain of her standing with her boyfriend Richard (Jake Lacy), while seeing herself increasingly attracted to Carol, becomes acquainted of Carol’s turmoil in her personal life: her husband, Harge, having previously discovered her in an affair with her friend Abby (Sarah Paulson), is wary of the presence of Therese, and wants to petition the Court for full custody of their daughter Rindy (Kennedy Heim), based on perceiving Carol as a lesbian.

Carol visits Therese at her apartment and gifts her with a fancy Canon camera kit, so she can further pursue her photography passion with the appropriate equipment. At the same time, she invites Therese on a road trip to escape the stress of what appears to be an inevitable and messy divorce. Therese agrees, but, at the same time, has a fight with Richard -who chastises her for “pursuing an older woman who won’t last with her”- and they break up.

While on the road, the two women, while growing closer, meet a charming salesman named Tommy (Cory Michael Smith), who also seems to take an interest in them both. That night, Carol and Therese kiss and make love in a motel room. However, to their dismay, the following morning they discover that Tommy is, in fact, a private investigator sent by Harge and he has already gathered enough evidence -including recorded tapes of their sexual encounter- and relayed it back to his client, so, despite Carol threatening him with a gun, nothing else can be done.

They both drive back to Chicago and Carol, in turn, asks Abby to take Therese home with a letter where she explains she must deal with her current marital situation. Therese tries calling Carol, but, even though Carol answers, she says nothing and hangs up, out of fear for the pressure of losing Rindy’s custody looming over her. They distance themselves from each other and Carol formally divorces Harge, admits being gay, is mandated to see a psychotherapist and makes the decision to concede full custody of Rindy to Harge -in exchange for being allowed to visit at any time- to avoid a potential scandal.

Some time later, Carol reaches out again to Therese, who, based on the photographs she had been keeping in a portfolio, has been offered a job at the New York Times. She announces she now works for a furniture store and lives alone in an apartment, asking her to move together, but Therese refuses, still unsure of her feelings. Carol extends her an invitation to a business dinner, which she attends, fearful. Carol spots her and says “I love you”, but then walks off when Jack (Trent Rowland), a former colleague of Therese, also catches sight of her.

Jack offers to drive her to a party, which she accepts but, later, leaves when she cannot stop thinking of Carol or make a connection with anyone else at the event. She heads back to The Oak Room and searches around for Carol, finally spotting her alone, at a table. After some hesitation, she walks towards Carol. They gaze at each other and, as Therese gets closer, Carol is seen slowly smiling, thus hinting a chance to the possibility of an actual, open relationship.