Title: Tár
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Todd Field
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Noemie Merlant, Nina Hoss, Sophie Kauer
Runtime: 2 hrs 38 mins

What It Is: Lydia Tár (Blanchett) is an internationally acclaimed musician and conductor, having won numerous awards and earned notoriety for her compositions and industry breakthroughs. Having her autobiography published and conducting for the Berlin Philharmonic performing Mahler’s 5th Symphony, it seems Tár has reached the pinnacle of her career and her life, an untrumpable force of nature as a ruthless artist. When an old protege of Tár’s commits suicide, her life and many secrets begin to unravel before her and far beyond her control–something she’s always been terrified of loosing.

What We Think: Todd Field is a fantastic director; I’ve loved his sobering portrayal of the white-American suburban lifestyle in Little Children for a long time, so it’s no surprise he’s returned with another tale of a human being falling into their own desires, to a massive yet admittedly human fault. The story of Lydia Tár is a clever narrative about hubris, narcissism, and abuse of power, one that describes many people in real life (and does so with much more realism than the satirical Triangle of Sadness). Blanchett’s spotless portrayal of Lydia shows someone who’s undeniable in all senses of the word, making her into the perfect manipulator. Her reign is gratingly pretentious, as she makes a point to take charge of every conversation and aspect of her reality and environment. She’s someone who’s settled into a position of ultimate control, whether it’s directing the presentation of a musical performance or intimidating a little kid into discontinuing bullying her daughter, or grooming young musicians. The direction in which Tár’s story takes is tense and uncomfortable, as the characters’ karma literally begins to haunt her, whether manifesting itself into mental disturbances, or actual ghosts. The quiet fashion of which Field builds Lydia’s fate is engaging and sneaky, making the film worth a rewatch considering all the small, subversive, hidden ways he communicates the morose consequences to Tár’s actions in scenes that roll in and out with less and less duration. We begin to feel the weight of Tár’s disorientation as her world crumbles around her, but continuously we question as to how her morality and worldview is ever affected. It’s a dark and melancholic character study that lets us intimately observe someone who starts off at the top, with as much authority and articulation as one person could potentially have, as they spiral once humility begins to set in.

Our Grade: B+, A beautifully filmed psychological character-study, Tár intimately exposes the ego death of a great artist with a human sensitivity in spite of its protagonist’s very inhumane actions. Blanchett’s performance is unquestionably impeccable, making her the perfect and only person who could ever portray this character (which, it only makes sense that the role was written specifically for her). Tár is a woman who prides themselves on having the power of a man, referring to herself as her daughter’s “father” at one point, and lets this mentality reason and excuse her lack of consideration for others’ well-being. This dark, complex drama is worth a watch and then a rewatch, not the most ground-breaking or surreal of its genre, but is uniquely punishing and deceptive on its own.