Tár – Movie Review
Director: Todd Field
Writer: Todd Field (Screenplay)
Cast
- Cate Blanchett (Carol)
- Noemie Merlant (Portrait of a Lady on Fire)
- Nina Hoss (A Most Wanted Man)
- Sydney Lemmon (Firestarter)
- Mark Strong (Kingsman Golden Circle)
Plot: Set in the international world of Western classical music, the film centres on Lydia Tár, widely considered one of the greatest living composer-conductors and the very first female director of a major German orchestra.
Runtime: 2 Hours 38 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Tár starts as we meet one of the greatest composer-conductors in the world Lydia Tar (Blanchett). She has seen the changes coming in the world of conducting and spearheaded the changes herself to become the first female director of a major German orchestra.
Lydia is preparing her latest orchestra for her next big performance. This sees her looking to change a few things about what has become a tradition as she searches for the next musical sensation.
Verdict on Tár
Tár is a drama exploring the preparation being made by the first female director of the German orchestra. It sees her looking to make a few changes before a live recording, looking to bring some younger talent to centre stage. This sees her navigating the world trying not to break her relationships and still bring the best to the industry.
Cate Blanchett is brilliant in the leading role of the movie, she shows how strict and determined Lydia is. Outside of her performance, the film struggles to give us the most engaging story. Unlike ‘Whiplash’ there doesn’t seem to be a major impact scene and it is lots of preparing. Showing lots of the routine that leaves us seeing how plain the world is, as they search for excellence.
Final Thoughts –Tár has stunning acting, carrying the slow story.