TÁR

JP Liz V1

Director Todd Field returns with Cate Blanchett in an Oscar worthy role (tbf when is she not)

https://youtu.be/O3JIVY6ySkE

JP Liz V1

It looks to be getting a cinema release here next week, not sure if streaming yet also

gmisk

Just out of members screening in the lighthouse....I am going to need to let it sit with me for a while....it was a LOT.

Cate Blanchett should be a shoo in for lots of awards and rightly so, the use of sound is genuinely brilliant. It gripped me more and more the longer it went on (and it is loooong). It helps if you like classical music unsurprisingly.

Spoiler Warning

Hard to categorise....I would put it as a psycho drama/odd ghost story I guess? Haunted by an ex/muse seemingly who committed suicide...sounds in the house etc and sound in general.

johnny_ultimate

A pretty remarkable film. Todd Fields' - aka Eyes Wide Shut's Nick Nightingale - directorial style reminds me a bit of Kubrick, but not in a derivative way or anything. There's a certain calculating but effective sterility to much of the camerawork here, but it's able to shift into more chaotic or unpredictable directions when the scene demands it (especially as Tar's life starts falling apart). I would also say he has a bit of Kubrick's sly sense of humour - there are only a few obvious comedic moments in this, but there's a particular wit to it that really adds flavour. I really liked Little Children when it was released all those years ago, so great to see such an assured follow-up... even if it took a long time to get here.

Blanchett gives one of those rare 'everything' performances - just totally inhabits the role. It is entirely credible, and she effortlessly walks the line the film wants her to: part charismatic, part despicable. It's easy to find the character compelling - she sucks all the energy out of every scene, on purpose - but great to see how much the film embraces her being an arrogant, abusive, cold-hearted sociopath as well. It probably wouldn't work quite as well without an opposing force like Nina Hoss though. She's one of Europe's great contemporary actresses, and I think her much more subdued, quiet performance contrasts with the hurricane force of Blanchett's is what gives the film that special something.

A great film all-in-all - just the sort of totally immersive 2.5 hour film the cinema screen is made for.

artvanderlay

Best film I've seen in years. An instant classic. I don't like Cate Blanchett as an actress, and normally avoid most of her movies, but as a music grad and someone who knows about the murky goings-on in the world of classical music, I couldn't pass up watching this. Her performance was incredible however: I'll have to rethink my stance on her and watch some of her old movies now :) The script/direction/casting/everything was spot on, and the 2 and 1/2 hours flew by and totally justified it's length. As someone who is sick of overlong, bloated, unedited movies, this was just what I needed. A smart, well-made film for adults by adults. God, it might just restore my faith in film!

One of the best endings I've ever seen too. Just brilliant :)

Caquas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120110853#Comment_120110853

Now on Netflix.

The best thing I've seen this year. It deserves all the praise it garnered on its release in 2022. It should have won Best Picture at the Oscars (but when did that Oscar last go to the best movie of the year?). It is not box office fodder but I can't understand why it only grossed $30 Million.

Heavy going at times but always keeping a clear narrative building towards tragedy. Blanchett is tremendous, with a great supporting cast, superb design and cinematography. Not Christmas cheer but a rewarding watch on a dark evening.

El Duda

Tár – 6/10

Yet another Oscar nominated Best Picture that had me thinking about walking out for the entire first hour. I went in knowing nothing. All I had seen is a poster full of 5 star reviews so I kinda hoped it would like Whiplash, but with Blanchett in the JK Simmons role and an Orchestra instead of a drummer. This couldn't be further from that.

It’s long winded and full of itself but it was worth persevering with. There are a few details and nuances in the first hour which I wrote off as fart sniffy directorial flourishes, but they turned out to be subtle little set ups that pay off nicely towards the end.

It’s a film that you have to lean into and pay close attention. It’s hard work and some of the ‘humour’ is as high brow as it comes. Some elderly gents were guffawing at things that didn’t even register as even slightly humorous to me.

Cate Blanchett is superb and worthy of all the acclaim. She completely disappears behind the character and when her life starts to slowly crack apart (emphasis on the slowly) it becomes quite compelling with some sharp “show and don’t tell” moments. That final shot was clever, thought provoking and the perfect way to end the film.

It was a chore to get through, but I do appreciate it a lot more in retrospect. I think that the likes of Lynne Ramsay could take this script and make a much better and crucially, much shorter film.

The director’s name is Todd Field, which until now accurately described his back catalogue. It was indeed, a field of Todds. But now he has one film which is outstanding in its field. Outstanding in its field of Todd Field todds.

silvertimelinings

Pretentious wordy instead of worthy muck. There is a story there but one which is hardly worth searching out.

hugeorange

Loved it. I thought there was so much going on, so many layers, that it's hard to condense all the thoughts. I liked that certain details were kept in the shadows, and the main character's unravelling into social pariah was threaded out really thoughtfully. I loved the world building - even though you are certain Tar is not a good person, you get glimpses of the fact that clearly she is operating in a highly competitive world that thrives on abusive practices and is surrounded by people who will facilitate, play along and turn a blind eye to such practices in order to advance their own careers or maintain a certain status quo. Tar is only shunned when the allegations go public and her reputation is so damaged that she is no longer useful, nobody saw fit to challenge her before then - the interaction with her wife towards the end is so telling, she is more upset at the damage to their reputation than anything else. Tar doesn't necessarily see her conduct as abusive or manipulative, but likewise neither do many of the people around her until it personally affects them or there is an advantage to be won or lost.

My favourite scene is with her brother when you really see how much of a performance "Lydia Tar" is, how much she is hiding and running from her roots, yet her brother is probably the only person she interacts with in the movie where there is no ulterior motive with either of them.

Caquas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122970072#Comment_122970072

Interesting comments but surely it deserves more than 6/10? Or are you the toughest marker around🤔

I agree it was heavy going in parts. I cheated by watching it on Netflix over three nights. It could have been shorter but everything fitted together and worked towards the climax, nothing was wasted. No guffaws from me - maybe I'm slow on the uptake? The final scene was perfect.

I'm looking forward to the Brutalist. Am I a masochist or just a sucker for tortured artists wooing the sell-outs in the Motion Picture Academy?