Report Card----"Carol"

"Carol" is an extraordinarily well-made movie that is utterly absorbing, with an incredibly nuanced performance by Cate Blanchette.
We see the beginnings of a lesbian love story between Cate and Rooney Mara in the early 1950s.
This is complicated by a child custody battle in Cate's upcoming divorce.

On to the scoring:

Is it interesting?

Fascinating.
A+.

Compelling even?

One of THE most compelling films I have seen in a long time.
A+.

Is it controversial?

Stories about lesbian relationships in the 1950s are by nature controversial.
A.

Is it a story worth telling?

Absolutely.
A+.

Is it good storytelling?

Extremely.
A+.

Is it well written?

The dialogue is quite excellent.
A+.

Is it well cast? Well played?

Cate may be replacing Streep as the best we have.
A+.

Well shot?

Exquisitely. And, of course, I love the cars.
A+.

Did the director put such a personal stamp on it so that no one else could have made it?

It seems so.
A.

How long does it take to establish the film's locale?

Immediately. Manhattan.
A.

Is it too long? Too short?

You're so into it that you don't even notice.
A+

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?

Utterly, and utterly.
A+.

Is it predictable? Does it surprise you?

You never feel like you're ahead of it.
A.

Do you think about it after you've seen it?

Just about how good it all is.
A+.

Is it funny?

On occasion, for a pretty substantive film.
A.

Would it have been worth the thirteen bucks it would have cost to see it in the movies?

If that was the only way to see it, absolutely.
A+.

Is it impressive?

Totally.
A+.

Overall grade: A+.

Another in a spate of truly great films.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
They are all compilations of blog entries that have since been removed from the blog.
So this is the only way you can find them.
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not
e-books. But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one. If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.

And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------