Carol, based on the novel The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith, tells the story of a young aspiring photographer (Rooney Mara) and her relationship with an older, married woman (Cate Blanchett).

Related: Watch Cate Blanchett Seduce Rooney Mara In Todd Haynes’ “Carol”

Comparing the relationship between the Mara's Therese and Blanchett's Carol to that of Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor in “A Place in the Sun," New Yorker critic Anthony Lane says the two "simply click."

Carol is a forbidden love story, in the same way Brokeback Mountain was; in the same way The Notebook was – that the pair happen to be lesbians surely adds great texture, but the film is not a lesbian romantic drama, it is a romantic drama, because, as the popular marriage equality hashtag goes, #LoveIsLove.

This morning, a press conference for the upcoming film was held at the JW Marriott Essex House just below Central Park. In attendance were the films stars Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Kyle Chandler and Jake Lacy as well as director Todd Haynes and screenwriter Phyllis Nagy.

During the conference a critic sitting in the second row offered, "What I love so much about this film is the love story between the two of you and how it didn't feel like it as homosexual love story; it felt very heterosexual, if I may, so could you talk about..."

"It felt normal," Blanchett interrupted.

"Is it because of the times we are living in now?" the reported continued "Is that the reason why we don't care anymore?"

"To me there is no difference," suggested Mara, "so it's kind-of a difficult question to answer. I think one of the great things about the film is that it's not a political film; it's not a film with an agenda; we're not preaching to the audience, so people are allowed to watch it for what it is which is a love story between two humans."

Amen.

Carol opens this Friday, November 20 in limited release nationwide.