Direction: Todd Field
Country: USA
Earnestly told and entirely convincing, Tár is a masterstroke by Todd Field, a director always on the lookout to take the viewer into breathtaking emotional whirlwinds. Inactive since 2006 (after masterful dramas such as In the Bedroom and Little Children), Field will make people wondering if the film was actually inspired by real events, such is the precision of detail and exactitude of information - the film starts with a marvelous interview with the New Yorker’s journalist Adam Gopnik, in which we learn Tar’s considerations about time in music, interpretation and feelings.
Elegantly mounted, his tale of intrigue works like a thriller, presenting us an intelligent post-pandemic journey, whose protagonist - an interesting yet desensitized avant-garde female conductor seriously inspired by Gustav Mahler - exerts abuse of power, tricky manipulation and favoritism. It's bursting with brainy tension, machinations and emotional turmoils, grabbing us from start to finish. The main reason for the film success is Cate Blanchett, who delivers a rock-solid, high-class performance, illuminating every single shot with her acting prowess. For now, I couldn’t think of any other actress than her for the Oscars.
Just like the music by Hildur Guðnadóttir, the cruel learning story penetrates our soul with entrancing captivation and ravishing violence. The overall story arc is realistically complemented with surgical dialogues and striking visual compositions in a timeless contemporary drama to be remembered for its immense qualities. One can finally rejoice with what have been missing from the movies these days: authenticity and intelligence.
