• It’s one of the more beautiful 16mm films (blown up to 35) I’ve seen. It has Haynes penchant and skill for gorgeous framing, lighting, and overall mise-en-scene
  • From Patricia Highsmith’s “price of salt” as source material—the screenplay isn’t amazing-
  • 95 on metacritic
  • Gorgeous floating tacking shot opening
  • Carter Burwell’s score—sounds a bit like Fargo and the scales like Philip Glass a little
  • Haynes is a Queer Cinema giant—and this is a major achievement—he’s better when he’s telling a straight forward narrative, with a strong female lead (Julianne Moore, Blanchett here), and focusing his impact on the mise-en-scene and not a funky narrative – his three strongest are safe, far from heaven and this— and his weakest are poison, velvet goldmine and I’m not there—and wonderstruck which missed the archives completely—all complicated narrative creations without a strong female lead
  • Floral use in several scenes
  • Another nod to Sirk but not as much as Far From Heaven– the color palette is different here- a greener almost Soderbergh-like (though it’s green here not yellow) or a bit like Vertigo
  • Dolls and miniatures in the store where Rooney Mara works
  • Blanchett looks like a towering figure next to Mara- big presence- she feels larger than life- regal, elegant
  • The gray gloves—fur coat
  • The size of Blanchett’s performance reminds me of Bette Davis, Vivian Leigh—even a little Joan Crawford—it’s a major accomplishment for Blanchett and Mara
  • The green hue is gorgeous- the tunnel when driving
  • Lots of shots in the window – not being framed like Renoir—but reflecting in the car mainly—stunning formal and visual strength
  • It’s a part of Christmas much like Far From Heaven and those Sirk films with the leaves are a part of Fall/Autumn
  • Silent perfection in the ending
  • HR/MS border