If you watch any of the interviews Todd Field / Cate Blanchett gave in their press tour in NYC, the sound of the orchestra came out from Blanchett’s conducting. The sound was done during the production and not lip-sync’d in post-prod. Blanchett learned conducting and playing professional grade piano (at least sufficient to cover the scenes) for this movie.
Among the MANY outstanding performances of Cate Blanchett, this one really rises above everything she has done before. I can see no one else playing that character.
The college student (Max) that kept his leg shaking the whole time during the lecture was like a metronome and when Tar put her hand on his knee to stop it, she was trying to take control of time Did anyone else also interpret it this way
Todd Field is a refreshing voice in cinema. He “speaks” when social issues warrant attention, yet let’s the viewer process them through vulnerable, multifaceted and (thus) realistic characters. He did this in abundance with Little Children. Thanks for this thoughtful review.
With all respect and deference given to the opinions to anyone who gave their time to watch this film, and review it, I have an earnest question. And I’m not being sarcastic or clever or trying to start a war here. With that 👆 in mind, I’ve been struggling with this Q as I think many lovers of art have. And that is this: Don’t you think the makers of Tár are slightly hypocritical if they do not turn down/openly reject their awards nominations from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (Golden Globes) and The Oscars? These are organizations that not only harbored and protected but *rewarded* Philip Berk Harvey Weinstein Roman Polanski Woody Allen the list goes on and on… However I can honestly say that without the nominations I would never have heard of Tár and most likely would never have seen it. So the recognition and publicity is invaluable to a film like this. It just seems to me that filmmakers who are trying to spur dialogue with an examination of cancel culture…or take it a step further…an examination of Miramax and Harvey Weinstein in the case of “She Said” should take a stand and reject the systematic propagation of rape culture. So…isn’t the cancellation…impulse…extremely selective here? I’ve really been at odds with myself for years about whether to follow the nominations and watch these programs which give invaluable boosts to small movies with a message…because members of these organizations are very guilty.
I saw it yesterday but I really enjoyed it I especially felt cate was truly the best part of the entire film it felt like a great case/character study seeing her go from being at the height at her power as a celebrity/musician to a very slow burn to her downfall and the finale showcasing our interpretations as if she will rise back up again my favorite part that still sticks with me is the Juilliard classroom scene gosh the tension between her and the actor who played max was so tense and it’s still haunting to me well 24/7 hours after the first viewing
It's definitely very different from In the Bedroom and Little Children. Field evolved as a director and the clinical approach reminded me of Michael Haneke in all the good ways. Haneke also has close to no score in his films. I think it's too intellectual and not emotional enough to win Best Picture but it's my personal Best Picture :)
Definitely worthy of an Oscar nomination. I already predict Best Screenplay. She doesn’t Huge moments? It’s the SUBTLETIES that makes her performance compelling.
Hildur did not conduct this orchestra! They‘ve said in multiple interviews, that everything was conducted by Cate herself and the music is the exact outcome of that :)
Guys I really love your analyses in general, and most of the time you are very studious, with well-based and intelligent arguments. Here I really appreciate your big effort to show the respect for this film, although every sentence of yours screams that, in fact, you did not like this film, and you have all right to do so. So I would appreciate a little bit more honesty here, without sugar-coating attitude. Tar is very very pretentious film, with a few interesting visual details and references, and a few nice shots. Otherwise, it will be probably the most overrated film of the year, and you know it very well. Kate Blanchett is not as nearly as good in this role, as she should be, to start with. As one of you mentioned, this role is not quite a transformation, and lets say it openly, it is not a transformation at all. In every second of the film we see that one same, cold glamurous narcisstic character that Kate plays in almost every film of hers. We don't see the nuances of ordinary human being in her character here, she is one the same cold facade throughout the whole 2 and a half hours. Obviously the Field believed that she is so big that she should play her usual role in this film too, and it will be a success in itself. The story is weak, bleak, not well conducted, and vague. It could have been a character study, as you guys said, a peak into a life of public, influential personas, however, we don't really see any complex development out here. She has just fallen out of her own life at a certain point, and thats it. However, then she turns to somewhere else, because the world is big, and thats it. The film could have been also the criticism of the western capitalist world, which creates and destroys its own figures of admiration, but again, it cannot be quite a criticism, because Lydia Tar is very far from being a person who deserves a real sympathy. She is cold and narcissist till the very last moment. If that was the point, maybe the whole plot is passable. But then, the story is lacking a serious background, and it definitely should not last for so long without a more eventful content. I am glad you put some attention to brilliant Nina Hoss, who is probably the best German actress in decades, and who actually should have been considered for the lead role in this movie, with a script seriously rewritten. That kind of movie I would have gladly watched.
Are we twins? Nina Hoss steals the show here. Apart from her beautiful and subtle performance, everything else in this film leaves me utterly cold. The emperor’s new clothes ….
@@todesque Actually, it is interesting that Nina Hoss has already played a lead character in a movie about the capricious and mentally unstable classical musician, it is called The audition (2019). There it is possible to see what range of an actress she is when playing in a classical music themed movie. Pity Tar was not her thing too (with a different script, still).
For this film I'd appreciate a Belfast/Caitriona Balfe/Judi Dench situation à la Nina Hoss gets nominated everywhere but surprisingly, Noémie Merlant gets a (deserving) nomination at the Oscars.
A movie about a conductor does not appeal to my interest in the slightest, and I'm sure it isn't as boring as it sounds, but I'll probably drag my feet a few years before watching it.
Very curious to see if the Academy goes for the more subtle performance (see: McDormand) or a big, showy performance like Chastain. Margot Robbie in Babylon would be the “big” performance this year
I honestly did not like the movie. I personally thought the film was way too slow and way too long for my liking and I personally did not like the characters in the movie as I found the majority of them way too pretentious for my liking. That being said, the only good thing about the movie was Cate Blanchett’s performance as Lydia Tar. Her performance is nothing short of spectacular and the only reason why anyone should even watch the movie because Cate’s performance is really that amazing.
Cate Blanchett gonna sweep though, idk how you found it kinda underwhelming but long sequences in the movie are nothing short of masterclass. Considering at the level she managed to perform in TAR I don't think any actress would be able to come close. She trumps the narrative aspect of other potential nominees.
@@elijahsackville-glucksburg yeah it felt like that. They did not cover much of the depth that this film has to offer but went over some superficialities. As being so called critic they should have covered more what this nuanced character study was like u like anything we have seen before. That’s why it has such raves and deservedly so
@@rics1883 yes, definitely. They missed the best bits of the film and that's disappointing for people who studied film in college and at times, does good film criticism and near-accurate predictions. I just wanted to reiterate how these boys may respect Cate Blanchett, but they definitely don't like her and that clouds their criticism because they're not willing to go into depths with the character and with the film in general. And they are like "yeah, Cate Blanchett could win her third Oscar for acting because Frances McDormand did" - the undertone of that statement, is them, underestimating Cate Blanchett, she's the kind of actor who always delivers. They're saying like Frances McDormand won her third acting Oscar because she's respected not because of her talent or her performance in that particular film and it's like the same here for Cate. Cate could win her third acting Oscar for Tár because she deserves it and she's particularly GREAT in it. These boys have been so dismissive of Cate in the past, they were so shocked, and when I say shocked, like, REALLY SHOCKED that she got in for Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical at the Golden Globes 2020 for her performance in Where'd You Go, Bernadette, they were also shocked that she was nominated at the SAG 2022 for Nightmare Alley, I mean, c'mon, those films may not be the best but you can always single out Cate's performance. 🤷
@@rics1883 yeah it's just pathetic. Had it been a different year and Cate Blanchett is not in the conversation for Lead Actress, Michelle Yeoh would have it in the bag already but alas, it's not. I definitely agree with you on Paltrow (who btw is a terrible actor) and Weinstein robbing Cate her first trophy for Elizabeth, it still stings. Can we also talk about how Cate should have been a four-time winning actor by now, two supporting and two lead. After her winning performance in The Aviator, one could argue that she deserve to go home with the trophy for supporting actress for her work in "I'm Not There" although it would mean that Tilda Swinton is Oscar-less to this day. I don't really mind because objectively speaking, Cate delivered the superior performance in the category that year but the trophy doesn't always go to the best performance of the year. So if she'll win her Oscar for Tár next year, she would be the first actor to win FIVE acting Oscars and you're right, she would've broken all records and will still continue to break records. Recently, she broke the record for the actor having the most nominated Best Picture films. She's one of a kind and it's frustrating that there are people who proclaim themselves as "cinephiles" but dismiss Cate's work. I mean, it's not just Cate, there are many other actors whose work have been overlooked both by major award-giving bodies but the entire film and entertainment industry as well.
@@elijahsackville-glucksburg Yeah man agree. Her incarnation as Bob Dylan was nothing short of a miracle. She was more convincing as Dylan than her male counterparts. She definitely deserved Oscar for that role. Her bob Dylan portrayal is ever green though. Hardly anyone remembers Tilda Swinton's Oscar winning role. Nonetheless she's already a acting legend. These goons don't know shit. I have seen TAR twice, man she's functioning at level any actor would dream of. I think only Daniel day lewis, Streep (80's work) are at her level.
supporting actress is way too competitive for hoss to get in unfortunately especially with mulligan all but confirmed going supporting and people saying she’s easily in and also the possibility of robbie going supporting there’s going to be so many names in supporting actress that’ll drown her out
Guys, were some of the scenes dreams she was having? Like running in a field and hearing someone scream...then we see her awake on the bed...there were quite a few scenes like that.
@@rambunctiousrohan this movie may get best director, best original screenplay or even best supporting actor, but I'm not really sure Yeoh can get best actress
Watched EEOAO and TAR, sorry to disappoint Yeoh fandom but she ain't no where near Blanchett's undeniable performance. That does not mean yeoh was bad, in fact she was incredible but it's really hard to imagine she's winning over Blanchett.
I did not get this one. A lot of it was subtlety that I did not pick up on. It did not make a lot of sense to me. I do not get the oscar hype for eitiher the movie or Cate Blanchett. This has been a down year for movies, but I am still waiting for one to root for.
It was amazing up until the end. Not to spoil anything but being from the Philippines, the end rubbed me the wrong way. The ending was so unnecessarily pretentious.
@@gp. her rock bottom taking place in the Philippines and basically making a joke out of fan conventions and cosplay culture seems pretty pretentious to me. It’s like…”haha look! she went from conducting a proper orchestra to working in a comic-con! And her life is miserable in the Philippines! How unglamorous! Haha!” 😒😒😒
I saw it as ironic, being that she previously sneered at popular culture and perceptions. Also, as a musician myself, I didn't see it as an insult to the Philippines. I saw it as: a true artist just wants to make art, no matter where, no matter how. It doesn't show her being defeated; it shows her adapting.
@@maryvallettakeith6146 but ultimately that’s what the movie wants to convey at the end. That it’s her rock bottom having to conduct this “low brow” music in a strange foreign country which is shown as some vague SEA country that resembles Thailand (girls for sale at the spa) but they speak Filipino. And it’s ultimately a reflection of Todd Field’s perception of electronic music and cosplay culture. You can show one’s downfall without having to bring down other cultures outside of elitist circles to prove your point.
Have seen RRR, that movie was so bad. Idk how in India it’s been celebrated and it’s part of the conversation getting BFL for academy awards.. just baffles me
@@rics1883 yeah RRR is horrible. Unfortunately the average standard of movies here is quite subpar and the hype around something as meh as RRR shows that.
@@rics1883 blonde was much better lol. Idk, I don’t mind these types of Haneke movies but man was it just not for me (putting the credits in the beginning was a big pretentious turn off). Blanchett was obviously good but yeah I’m not ashamed to say I couldn’t care less about her character or the script. I can’t see how this is going to draw a crowd beyond the niche cinephile crowd
I guess Arthouse Obscure Cinema isn't your cup of tea... You're more into mainstream blockbuster which is very accessible and never requires deep analysis...
Yeah these arthouse movies can really feel like they drag when the story is just not resonating with you. I felt that way by about Licorice Pizza last year, critics absolutely adored the film, But I thought it was boring as dirt. There were several points near the end where I literally laughed out loud in the theater over how bored I was. It just didn’t resonate with me at all.
