Movie Tár

[Kong]

As somebody that has decried the sometimes repetitive nature in the “what was the last movie you saw” thread, I thought I should attempt to create a few more standalone threads on films that warrant discussion.

Starting with what could potentially sweep the Oscars, Tár. It really is a masterpiece in film making. I’ve quoted my original post rather than re-writing it all.

Tár (2022)
Set in the international world of Western classical music, the film centers on Lydia Tár, widely considered one of the greatest living composer-conductors and first-ever female music director of a major German orchestra.

I finally managed to see this earlier in the week, after waiting impatiently for what seems like a year.

I thought it was a well crafted, patient film. I'd happily watch it again, but not necessarily rush to do so. It deserves praise for nearly every component of film making - the screenplay is rich, the cinematography very clean and effective, the score adds a dimension to it (you'd hope so, given the topic of the film), and the acting was very good. The writer/director (Todd Field) clearly did their research on the classical music world, from its history, to the culture, right down to mannerisms while performing and the method of creating music.

It has elements of a drama with hints of psychological tension, something I really enjoy (e.g. The Nest, which I consider to be one of the best films this decade). It is definitely a drama, but the main character's idiosyncrasies manifest in ways that insert moments of paranoia and a loose grasp on reality.

The film has a lot to say, so you can probably take whatever you want out of it. It focuses heavily on abuse of power, toxic hero worship, flawed genius, narcissism, elitism and identity, and cancel culture. I'm not sure what its stance on cancel culture is, because there were parts of the film that very clearly criticise it, and others where it justifies it as a necessity when people do bad things. I've got no doubt that it's left up to the viewer to decide this for themselves.

Finally, Cate Blanchett is phenomenal. It's possibly her best performance, which says something. She combines the pomp and sophistication of her roles in The Aviator, Benjamin Button, and Carol with the unhinged and messy roles of Blue Jasmine, Notes on a Scandal, and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. If you wanted to show a film student an example of an all-rounder, this would be it. She's fully the character of Tar, believably alternating between the intellectual public persona, the neurotic composer, the insecure woman with a crush, and the rage of a person unravelling. You can see it in her body language and her face without ever getting the sense that she's rehearsed it a thousand times; it comes across as organic and genuine. She also alternates between English and German in the middle of composing like an authentic musician. Give her all of the awards now.

If my review sounds pretentious, it's probably appropriate. The film is pretentious in every way, but deliberately so. The high society world it presents is full of self important people, and the film making is a demonstration of how to tell a story with great effect without compromising or pandering.

If you're a cinephile, this is a must.

 

[Frank Bunn]

Blanchett puts in a great performance but the rest of it mostly left me cold.

Structurally, it's a mess. Five minutes of opening credits - f*ck off. Then ten minutes of exposition by means of a stage interview. The plot is really slow for 2 1/2 hours then very rushed at the end when some significant things happen without context. There's unecessary elements like repeated dream scenes, the next door neighbour, and shots of smart phone texting. Yet they don't show any of the musical pieces for more than a few seconds, that we are being told how masterful they are.

There's a few good scenes where Blanchett's character talks about classical music but they are few and far between.

4/10.

 

[Kong]

Structurally, it's a mess. Five minutes of opening credits - f*ck off. Then ten minutes of exposition by means of a stage interview.

I can see why you’d be annoyed if you saw the interview scene as purely exposition, because that is lazy writing. But I didn’t see it as that; I saw that as establishing the public persona (intellectual, respectful) before moving into the others (the egomaniac teacher, the pretentious artist etc)

The plot is really slow for 2 1/2 hours then very rushed at the end when some significant things happen without context.

What things do you think happened without context?

There's unecessary elements like repeated dream scenes, the next door neighbour, and shots of smart phone texting. Yet they don't show any of the musical pieces for more than a few seconds, that we are being told how masterful they are.

There's a few good scenes where Blanchett's character talks about classical music but they are few and far between.

4/10.

I agree on the text messaging. I thought that was a strange way to start the film; I assumed that was to establish that an (at the time) invisible person was watching her and documenting her batshittery, which became important with emails later in the film.

 

[Frank Bunn]

What things do you think happened without context?

I probably described that badly. The events didn't flow with the pacing and background of the earlier 2 and half hours.

Spoiler

In the last 10 minutes she had an argument with her partner then shortly later we are left to assume she can't pick up her daughter because they have split up. Then she's in South East Asia on a riverboat. Then she's teaching kids because her career is over.

These things would seem quite significant in her life but they get brushed over compared to other more minor elements.

 

[Kong]

Maybe to illustrate the slow, prolonged build up before a swift, "so fast your head's spinning" cancellation, leading to a series of spasmodic events in the fallout?

I admittedly didn't notice/have an issue with your concerns when I watched it so I'm only guessing (why they did it / how I interpreted it).