TÁR Review – Equally Bewildering And Disappointing, Cate Blanchett's Exquisite Performance Is Impeccable.

press conference of tar It’s a very unique experience. The theater was almost empty, and the movie got the longest opening credits. It is set to a soft, somewhat dissonant piece of music that is about five minutes long, but later found out that it was conducted by Lydia Tár, the main character of the film.

The movie opens with a mysterious scene where someone texts an iPhone. If it’s not later revealed who texted whom, you can only get a hint that her subject is Lydia, and it’s not like she sees her in a positive light. Absolutely certain is that Lydia is a virtuoso. She is considered one of the greatest living composers to have received her own mentoring, Leonard Bernstein, which she called Lenny in an interview with Adam Gopnik of the New Yorker. As a fan of classical music (my car radio is almost always a 99.5 – Classical MPR), it is a great pleasure to hear Lydia’s extensive knowledge and deep love for great composers.

Lydia is undoubtedly at the top of the game. She has won the EGOT and spends her time in NYC teaching at Juilliard and Berlin conducting the Berliner Philharmoniker. At this stage of her life, she has achieved little, and she is rehearsing for the 5th Symphony, the last song in Gustav Mahler’s symphonic cycle. But being at the top is only one way, not down. Reminds me of what Denzel Washington whispered to Will Smith after the infamous ‘slap’… ‘Be careful at the best moments. That’s when the devil comes for you.’ Well, in the case of Lydia Tár, she is too preoccupied with herself and her work to face her own demons.

Although Lydia still operates at a male-dominated industry level, the film features two important female characters. The first things you see are Francesca, Lydia’s faithful assistant and aspiring conductor, and her patient Sharon, the Berlin Philharmonic’s movement (lead violinist). Lydia treats her and her close people the same way she conducts in her orchestra… They must yield to her will. Otherwise, it will arouse her anger. She has no mercy toward her students, just as a BIPOC pansexual student harshly rebukes the German composer for refusing to play Bach’s music, as she views the German composer as racist and misogynistic.

If you don’t know, you might think that Lydia Targa is a real person, not a fictional character created by the writer/director. todd field. Tár is the first film in 16 years. small children In 2006 he scrutinized the subject. It’s an interesting character study of a fascinating fallen star. Some people say that this movie is about a ‘cancellation culture’, but I think it’s oversimplified because there’s more to it than that. Field also encounters a ‘Me Too’ headache regarding Lydia’s abuse of power as shocking revelations involving Lydia’s ex-mentee are finally revealed.

tar Equally deceptive and disappointing. Sometimes it’s too secretive and maybe even serpentine. I realize that her Field doesn’t want to judge his protagonist and draws her as both her victim and her perpetrator. We have to sympathize with her who is never shown her as she is being ‘ghosted’ by her strange voice and her metronome that turns on suddenly in the middle of the night and all her transgressions are only hints. What made me truly immersive for a running time of nearly 2.5 hours was the sublime director-led casting. Cate Blanchett.

There aren’t enough adjectives to describe her performance… it’s simply transcendent and captivating. Even if Lydia is a textbook narcissist, you can’t take her eyes off her. Just as Lydia is her unrivaled obsession with precision, she is practically unmatched by Blanchett in her acting skills and her dedication to the arts. I have read that all orchestra conducting scenes are 100% real. She was actually conducting the Dresden Orchestra. She also had to relearn piano and German for her role and she did a great job. Field said Blanchett would not have made the film if she had turned down the role. It’s smart because I can’t imagine anyone else playing this role. Her exquisite performance is this year’s Oscar winner, and obviously Blanchett is someone who can win by a wide margin.

I will also cheer for the German actress nina hose Lydia’s wife in the Best Supporting Actress race. Hos is a phenomenal actress in its own right, and her quiet but powerful acting is memorable here. She conveys her affectionate feelings just with her eyes, and her silence is louder than her words. Noemi Melan Often brilliant, like Francesca, who holds Lydia’s dictatorial temperament head-on. real life musician Sophie Kauer A Russian cellist who recently became the target of Lydia’s affection, and is a pretty scene stealer. Mark Strong and Julian Glover are solid character actors who offer memorable supporting roles.

The classical music world is barely portrayed on screen, and the way it is presented here feels authentic, at least to those looking from the outside. Field is Hildur Gudnadottirmusic (including originals and excerpts from Mahler et al.) and Florian HofmeisterThe visual beauty reminiscent of ‘. There is a sense of atmosphere and fickleness, and sometimes there is a sense of dread that goes under the skin. Unfortunately, my viewing experience was sometimes interrupted by loud noises from the theater next door, which strangely happened while Lydia was hearing strange noises.

The ending is going to make me scratch my head… Obviously Lydia’s career has plummeted due to her tainted reputation, but how low is it? I won’t spoil it for you, but let’s say Mahler is not part of the concert repertoire.

After all, Lydia Tár remains a sphinx-like mystery. She is ruthless and untouchable, despite all that has happened to her. Her poster for this film is absolutely correct because it encapsulates the way the people around her see her from below her sitting on her podium so high and so powerful that it’s hard to look down on her. do.