“Tár” (2022)

“Tár” is easily one of the most influential movies of the year, not only by the juggernaut of talent that is Cate Blanchett but also because of the subject matters it takes on, for many it will be the apparent cancel culture layer on top of it all that might make them love or hate the movie but for the others that look under that layer there is so much more.

Blanchett in “Tár” delivers a character study that reminded me of J.K. Simmons’s portrait of Fletcher in “Whiplash” not because of the music connection but for the lack of compassion toward finding perfection and expecting others to sacrifice it all for that perfect performance but that is where it stops, and actually, Blanchett character might even be more lacking values because she is not only doing it for the music but at the same time to abuse others that she commands power.

The way Todd Field conducted this movie is masterful on its own he allows us to make our judgments, gives us the space to see the good and the bad of the character, the time to try and understand her reasons and allows us to see the beauty she creates and by the end, we decide to stand with her or against her, or maybe to fill pulled between the two.

He does all this with beautiful camera work and incredible shots and obviously by picking the right composer; Hildur Guðnadóttir’s work in the “Joker” was haunting and gave her an Oscar, and she would not be surprised if this would give her a second one, the way the music bridges all the emotional states of this character is like an invisible element that makes it much more emotional.

The ending is funny and a bit off-key but works perfectly, I was worried about where it was all going, but they ended up making it work for me; this is a sure candidate for the Oscars of this year, and I would even say it made me wonder about a few of my early picks, a must watch.

Have you seen it? What did you think?

What is your favourite Cate Blanchett performance?