Carol

From its characters to its setting to its themes, Carol is both specific and universal, a story that takes place 63 years ago yet resonates with contemporary immediacy beneath the surface.

That combination of simplicity and complexity is part of what makes this intimate romance from director Todd Haynes (Far From Heaven) such an achievement.

It’s a sharply written and acted adaptation of The Price of Salt, a novel written under a pseudonym by Patricia Highsmith (The Talented Mr. Ripley) during a time when its lesbian protagonists were considered more controversial than today. Yet that context doesn’t make the material any less impactful.

It takes place in 1952, with the affluent title character (Cate Blanchett) on the verge of a divorce from her husband, Harge (Kyle Chandler). That’s best for both parties, although custody rights to their young daughter are in the balance.

Things get complicated when Carol meets Therese (Rooney Mara), a young clerk at a Manhattan department store, and realizes an immediate spark. A subsequent lunch meeting leads to a full-blown clandestine affair that carries on despite a significant age difference, socioeconomic boundaries and potential public ridicule.

Their initially reluctant decision to pursue the relationship has damaging effects, however, when Harge complicates the custody battle after putting the pieces together, causing both women to revisit their pasts and challenging the notion of love and happiness at all costs.

The period re-creation by Haynes and cinematographer Ed Lachman (Erin Brockovich), along with their collaborators in the art department, is meticulous and evocative. Each image is carefully constructed, such as the masterful sequence, bathed in nostalgic amber hues, in which Carol and Therese first exchange glances over a sales counter during the holidays thanks to a serendipitously misplaced glove.

The screenplay, which marks the feature debut for playwright Phyllis Nagy, gives the actors room to breathe, and both leads take advantage with committed performances that expertly balance strength and vulnerability. In a film with so many internalized emotions, Blanchett and Mara are forced to act as much with facial expressions and body language as they are through dialogue.

The result is deliberately paced but powerful, as Carol twists melodramatic cliches about obsession and isolation into something fresh and vital. Underneath its polished and demure veneer, the film has plenty to say.

Rated R, 118 minutes.