SummarySet in the international world of classical music, TÁR examines the changing nature of power and its impact and durability in our modern world through the life of iconic musician Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett), the first-ever female chief conductor of a major German orchestra.
SummarySet in the international world of classical music, TÁR examines the changing nature of power and its impact and durability in our modern world through the life of iconic musician Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett), the first-ever female chief conductor of a major German orchestra.
The genius of Todd Field’s superb Tár comes from the way the film-making echoes the treacherously seductive and mercurial nature of its central character.
A masterpiece of cruelty, power, and genius. It manages to be both empathetic and unforgiving, icily detached and perpetually about to boil over. Intricately complex, and yet, at its core, starkly simple.
Confusing, disturbing, and peculiar. Anticlimactic and climactic at the same time. You have to let it sit for a while for things to come together. It's a lot to process, but at the same time, it's a genius movie. I've also never experienced such a high level of stress while watching a film before, but god it is worth it. Lydia Tar is a very complex character, and Cate Blanchett plays her so well that she feels real, it is extraordinary.
Because each moment serves at least two purposes — "Tár" is both a superb character study and a highly persuasive piece of world building — you may well find yourself marveling at Field’s economy.
The remarkable details in how information is revealed entirely through a central performance is the reason TÁR excites. Not what it has to say, but how it tells us the story through a dual execution of performance and writing preparation.
We know where Tár is headed from pretty much its opening scenes, but that doesn’t mean that the film shouldn’t still surprise and shock us. Luckily, this is where Blanchett comes in, turning the movie from a moderately interesting and topical one into something quite beautiful. She brings the energy and the sensation that much of the rest of the film lacks.
Like its subject, the film is severe, dry and painfully serious, but in the closing seconds Mr. Field does, at last, deliver some relief with a visual joke that deals in a kind of cosmic comeuppance. It’s by far the best part of the movie, but it arrives too late to make much of a difference. Up to that point, “Tár” is like listening to a slow, ominous roll on the timpani for two and a half hours.
I simply love Cate Blanchett in lesbian roles, so there's that... secondly Marin Alsop has no right to be offended. Lesbians dominate almost all media and never in a bad light, for once in my life, can there be a non-perfect lesbian character.
Additionally, I think it's mostly a boring and uninteresting film, but visually beautiful with good wardrobe... what makes me admire this film as the third act - how it becomes a cancel culture "thriller".
It has a lame "first ever successful woman composer" trope.
I am a classically trained pianist, get over yourselves. Make something good and you can remove the "first-ever" from everything.
Frankly, I expected a lot from Tar, but I watched a much slower-paced, weak storyline and low-acting movie than I thought. I thought that Cate Blanchett would exceed the bar she set in Blue Jasmine, but unfortunately, it does not deserve all the fuss. Sorry Lydia.
I'm sorry to say, I didn't even find Cate Blanchett's performance very good. I found her studied and wooden, and along with the entire cast, completely lacking in chemistry. The sound, cinematography, and editing were poor, creating even more distance and alienation. Whether intended or not, it did not work.
The narrative strands were a mess; the dialogue was stilted and unrealistic.
I am a classical musician and listen exclusively to classical music, and I can assure you that this is not what classical musicians are like or how they talk.
Also, I couldn't work out if some of the over-the-top scenes of diversity and inclusion were parodies or serious. Almost everything was utterly unrealistic and removed from reality.
It was also profoundly pretentious, as though the writer was trying to garner approval or showcase their impeccable credentials.
Immensely disappointing after all the hype.