Shows the true cold dreariness of winter that is present even at the warmest of transcendent scenes. Haynes does not bring in some otherworldly glow here. The world around these two is cold, it is real, it is harsh, and in some ways is not made for them, but that's not important, all this exterior, what the rest of the world sees is not important to these two at all, what is important is this world within, a place that even the audience is not permitted access to. A place just for two. This can at times make things, for me at least a little too distant, but the fact that this is (or at least feels) for them not me is interesting in its way.

I cant really resist a gay Christmas movie. Nothing like these two escaping the world while we all do our silly Christmas thing, thus providing the smoke screen they need to slip away. In the end its a movie that never really transcends its melancholy soap opera mode but really doesn't need to be anything grander than that to hit in the places where it counts. If I'm being picky I did find it a little distracting that our lovers, or at least young Therese moves on so quickly and doesn't seem to feel violated from the tragic fact that her very first experience with a woman was documented and rather crassly implied to have been masturbated over by a man hired to spy on them. I suppose it is simply a testament to just how firm and strong she is in her new awakening to herself and love, the whole thing is that she is no longer ashamed, even in such an intensely violating situation.

Extra note: was impressed with Todd's balanced characterizations with both the husband and the boyfriend caught in the crossfire of this love affair, they never feel like boogeyman, they feel believable while still maintaining their function in story for bringing the drama and conflict.

Once again, fashion is king in this Haynes flick and I'm always amazed he has never really made anything about fashion (Haynes does his Phantom Thread?). Either way this all does what it needs to and gets anyone watching to think about first experiences with love, unrequited uncomfortable experiences, or yes the early days of a love affair that is still going to this very day.  

I will say that I do dig these two lovers but is it weird that this time around I kinda felt Therese should just get with Carrie Brownstein instead and blossom elsewhere?