Tár Movie Review: Chilling and Socially Relevant
Tár feels like a dream odyssey of a movie; a fictional story set in the prestigious and cut-throat world of classical music. Cate Blanchett masterfully plays Lydia Tár, a gloriously complex, deranged, and mysterious character. Tár is the most famous conductor in the world; a female powerhouse in the male-dominated industry of classical music. Her accolades range from being the conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, an EGOT recipient, the founder of a program that elevates female conductors, and much more. But her life starts to crumble around her as the demons of her past catch up with her. An onset of paranoia and real life accusations seek to destroy all the success that has come to define her. What starts out as an exploration of a wildly successful icon turns into a slow and gradual unraveling of a human.
This movie is quite long (2 hours 30 minutes), and while not being action-packed, it is filled with deeply meaningful conversations and interesting imagery. The first scene of the movie shows Tár sitting down for an interview in front of a live audience. It is a great introduction to who Lydia Tár is as a person and it almost feels like you are physically in the room and watching her live on stage. Cate Blanchett will grip you with her acting from the very start. Her mannerisms, voice, and gestures are so captivating that you do not want to look away for a single second. One big reason I loved this film is because Cate Blanchett is a mesmerizing lead actress and this movie is like a 3 hour showcase of her acting abilities. There is one particular scene at the end that is definitely her ticket to a Best Actress Oscar win.
What really makes this movie powerful is how it leaves the viewers guessing. Not to give anything away, but this film embarks on an interesting exploration of cancel culture. If someone is believed to have done something terrible, does that nullify any other accomplishments and contributions they have made in their lifetime? One of my favorite scenes is the one where Tár leads a conducting class at Julliard. One of the students in the class expresses that he does not like Bach’s music because of who Bach was as a person. And Lydia demands to know if the quality of Bach’s music needs to be inexorably tied to who he was as a person. It is a powerful and gripping moment, both because of the dialogue and also because mid-way through the entire 30-or-so-minute sequence, you realize that it was all being shot in one take.
From the trailer, Tár can feel like a horror film, but the movie is definitely not violent or bloody. It can be scary in the psychological sense, particularly with its exploration of how humans are fickle and no one really knows how one’s legacy can end up being. If you enjoy deep films that may be dialogue heavy, I think you will really enjoy this film. And if you have an appreciation for orchestras or classical music, this is even more of a must watch!