10 Great Films About Forbidden Love

When Carol first aired at the Cannes Film Festival, it was reported to have received a ten-minute standing ovation. Watching it even six years on from its premiere, it's easy to see why it was so acclaimed upon release.

Carol was directed by Todd Haynes with a script penned by Phyllis Nagy, who spent nearly twenty years trying to get the film made. It follows Therese (Rooney Mara), a photographer who finds herself forming a relationship with married Carol (Cate Blanchett) whilst the pair grapple with their conflicted love lives.

Set in the 1950s, Carol could quite easily have been made in the era; it's elegant, charming, stylish and beautifully shot, and only gets better when you realise how moving Mara and Blanchett are in their respective roles. Both are confused, emotionally and romantically, and the film works to craft a wondrous character study around Mara and Blanchett's seamless performances.

With Carol, romance and cinema have never looked so good.