Credit to writer/director Rachel Lambert for trusting her instincts to not spoon-feed every emotional morsel to the audience, as Hollywood has a tendency to do with mature romances. I have my issues with Lambert’s previous films, family drama The Radiant City and the glacial Sometimes I Think About Dying, but have always respected that she makes movies her own way and not what will be the easiest sell. The best example of this is Carousel, a romantic drama starring Chris Pine and Jenny Slate as former lovers wading through a sea of relationship baggage and the struggle that comes with everyday life.
Even if you didn’t know that Carousel was shot in Lambert’s own Cleveland hometown, you would be able to feel how personal a movie this was for her. You can tell by the way certain places, like her old high school, or the mention of a favorite Italian restaurant, are used to flesh out this familiar corner of the world.
Pine is in rare form as Noah, a divorced doctor struggling to connect with his volatile daughter Maya (Abby Ryder Fortson), who is suffering from some pretty severe grief. But then, so is Noah, who is watching his medical practice sink, his ex-wife moving on to another man, on top of everything else. His world gets thrown into chaos with the return of Rebecca, played by Slate, who happens to be Maya’s debate coach…and the love of his life who got away.
Carousel is a gentle, sensitive movie about second chances, starting over, and learning to be happy again. This isn’t some glossed-up, easy-to-solve version of that well-worn romantic tale, either, at least for most of the way. Noah has some pretty serious anger issues to deal with, and for a long time we don’t know the full story of what’s up with him. There’s something tragic that happened with his father that Noah won’t speak about, and clearly he’s not over the divorce yet. Nor does Lambert tell us everything about Rebecca and why she left town to DC, clearly leaving behind Noah and what should’ve been “happily ever after.” Neither forgot about the other. But Noah got married, had a child, and moved on with his life. It’s understandable why Rebecca would want to stay away, even if Noah is too into his own shit to see that for himself.
The supporting cast is full of incredible screen vets, including Sam Waterston, Katey Sagal, Jeffrey DeMunn, and Jessica Harper, but none have as much screen time as we want them to. It takes some time for Pine and Slate to find that romantic chemistry, but they settle into it believably just in time for life to get even more complicated. More attention could’ve been paid to Maya as she grapples with numerous stresses, possibly made worse by mental illness, while having to watch her father find love with a new woman.
Lambert’s movies move at their own pace, and Carousel is another that will have you looking at your watch on occasion. Fortunately, Slate is so damned likable that you can look past it most of the time. And Pine, showing his age for once and looking more like Robert Redford than ever, is fantastic as a man just trying to settle into a comfortable, predictable life an finding it very difficult. Part of the problem is that neither he or Rebecca know how to put their feelings into words, and it’s hard to move on until they figure out a way to communicate without hurting one another.
There are no easy answers in Carousel, no quick fixes. That said, Lambert offers up a final scene with an all-too-easy, palatable conclusion that cuts against the harsh reality. There’s still too much left unsaid, too much work for Noah and Rebecca to do before the ride they’re on can end smoothly.
