This review contains spoilers.
Tár is a difficult movie to write about, and I’ve come to believe that’s actually one of its strengths. It’s a character study, a portrait, and I think calling it that is praise for it. On one hand, it definitely is a product of the years that preceded its production, but on the other, it’s so adept at telling its story as if it is not. The audience, at least the current audience, expects it to take sides and to make statements, but the film sticks to its guns and stays a character study.
We are to believe that she is one of the best, if not the best, at what she does. What do I know about what it takes to be a great conductor? Cate Blanchett convinces you that she is a great conductor—in fact, leaves no question about it. Her performance is so charismatic, powerful, and convincing. When she is on screen, and she is playing the conductor—not the mother, lover, woman, but the conductor—she radiates that greatness. This should by all means be a boring movie, but combined with Todd Field’s masterful directing, it plays like a thriller while it builds Tár up. You can see the cracks in the building as it goes up. It fills you with anxiety because you can see the inevitability of it coming down. It builds, and builds, and builds for much longer than I expected, before it starts coming crashing down. It also manages to land what I thought was a perfect ending.
I regret not having watched it for so long, and I’m very grateful that my wife asked to finally watch it. I also came out very grateful after watching it. I expect I will be thinking about it for some time to come.
My Rating: 9/10