Tár

In places it pretends to be smarter than it really is, but the monstrously long runtime can't be defended, the editor must have gone on holiday somewhere. As an insight into an industry that not one per cent of the population sees, however, it is an interesting and almost voyeuristic look at the disintegration of one prominent figure that is at times riveting. And I would love Cate Blanchett even if she worked on Andrej Babiš's campaign staff. (24.12.2022)

The disintegration of life in the post-pandemic era, live... The composer Lydia Tár is not a very pleasant person. She’s a manipulative, arrogant professional who treats people like pieces on her personal chessboard, but with tact and a smile. But the moment they don't perform as they should, she smashes them to pieces. Yet her undeniable talent, enthusiasm for the cause and willingness to submit to the music and take it as her own permeate loudly throughout the film and the viewer must admire her despite all her negative qualities. Lead singer Todd Field mixes in paranoia, comments on cancel culture and lesbian family life (someone has to be the daddy). Cate Blanchett is mesmerizing with her performance and is confidently walking for the golden statuette for Best Actress. And to top it all off, beautiful music. A masterpiece, albeit little self-absorbed. (21.01.2023)

A masterfully handled character study of a demonic conductor in the best performance of the year. Cate Blanchett plays a woman who is complicated, intelligent, manipulative and a lesbian on top of that. Overall, there is a sense of a focus on gender issues, but at the same time the film is also friendly to the ordinary viewer, who doesn't notice some of the details or doesn't attach importance to them, and enjoys above all Blanchett's fabulous performance – she doesn't hesitate even in extremely long dialogue passages, when the camera statically, almost voyeuristically takes her in and examines her every gesture. The length is the only significant weakness of the film, with a two-hour running time and the editing of some unnecessarily long passages (ironically, especially the musical ones), it would probably be a major Oscar favourite. Because apart from a great script, minimalist form and thought-provoking dramaturgy, this is a film from a milieu that is almost unknown to mainstream audiences and very interesting. (12.03.2023)

Like a small yet loud triangle somewhere on the edge of an orchestral ensemble, this film resonates with me more and more over time among all the more familiar and award-winning films. Every once in a while it's great to see a film that delves into contemporary issues, but without tackling them in black and white, for effect, or at first glance; instead, it tackles them in a smart, complex, and ambiguous way. Todd Field manages to do all of this, and he also puts it all into the realms of fictional biography, suspenseful drama, and almost ghost story, so that he has a very varied ride in store for the patient viewer, one that from a distance may seem boring, but it’s most certainly not. (17.03.2023)