Tár Review: Cate Blanchett Soars In Todd Fields Ambitious New Drama

"If he hadn't spoken, the film wouldn't have seen the light of day," says director Todd Field in a statement about his epic new drama Thar . He was, of course, referring to the film's star, Cate Blanchett, one of Hollywood's greatest actresses whose name certainly preceded her at this point. That being the case, it would be easy to initially dismiss Field's comments as nothing more than insults or flirting. After all, what director doesn't talk about a film's leading star, especially one of Blanchett's caliber?

However, after watching the TAR , the truth of Field's comments is undeniable. It takes a performer with Blanchett's charismatic and commanding presence to pull off any magic. It takes someone who can not only transform into a character, but also, unfortunately, lead every scene partner who opposes him. Blanchett explains this and more in Tar .

From the moment she stood outside Howard Hughes' screening room in The Aviator , Blanchett immersed herself deeply in one of her characters, or felt and spat out Blue Jasmine , a film she had thoroughly and delightfully chewed up. Her performance here may be her best, and while Tarr seems more important as a character study than a social commentary, Blanchett's pulse and verbal detachment are evident in every film she's qualified for, as well as in her highly acclaimed compositions. .

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Contrary to what this last comment suggests, Thar is by no means an ordinary film. Not only does the first 10 minutes revolve around a public conversation between Blanchett's seasoned composer Lydia Tarrer and New York writer Adam Gopnik, but it moves at a leisurely pace and the plot is down to earth predictable. It's already running. Anyone looking for generic structure in FieldScript will come away empty-handed.

The film opens with Lydia de Blanchett on top of the world. Already established as one of the most powerful and inspiring composers in the world, not only did he release a new note (the actual Tar on Tar), but he also wrote a composition for Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 5, which has eluded him throughout his career. As such, the opening dialogue between Gopnik and Blanchett in the film is an effective and very funny way for Tarot to confirm Ledia's achievements and her position in the field .

From there, Field spends most of Tarot's 158-minute run following Lydia as she and the German orchestra set up Mahler 's compositions. Along the way, we learn about some of the most important characters in Lydia's life, including her husband, Sharon (Nina Hoss). and his assistant. Francesca (Nomi Merlan), as well as Olga Metkina (Sophie Kaur), is the young Russian girl who catches Lydia's attention at the beginning of the film. By meeting these characters and practicing together, Field slowly but surely plants the seeds for Tarot 's strange but inevitable third act.

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The less detail given about Tara's conclusion , including her memorable final plan, the better. But from the start, Field works to fill the tar with slow, near-punishment and uses several simple but effective methods to do so. From the ominous shots of Lydia Blanchett watching from afar to the few quiet words that capture his attention, Field gives his protagonist plenty of reason to believe that someone - or something - is constantly after him.

The director makes good use of the sprawl of Berlin. One episode finds Lydia frantically searching a public park for the source of a woman's constant screams, while another finds her descending the flooded corridors of an abandoned underground school. In this final sequence, a sense of terror emerges within Tara , leaving a devastating trail that neither the film nor Blanchett's Lydia can truly shake. The sudden, sharp ending, in which Blanchett's self-confident composer pays for his fatigue and abuse of power in a very modern way, serves as the perfect prelude to Tar's uncontentious final third .

Unfortunately, as contemporary as Tarot 's final moments are, they don't exactly justify the film's 2.5 hour running time. For a film that feels as weighty and metaphysical as anything you'll see this year, it's undeniably a perfect simplistic conclusion. In the end, there's an inescapable sense of harmony between the abstract, naked creature she's been for most of her time and her theorizing about erasure culture and #MeToo over time.

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Part of this gap is the result of the lyrical and muscular visual style that Field brings to Tar . Here, Field fully embraces the beauty of the big screen, making every room and setting feel like Lydia Blanchett's expansive, open mind. The director's long tenure allows him to bring out Blanchett's inner magnetism. By doing as little as possible when the star is on screen, Field manages to render Lydia's climax as empty - and therefore powerful - as possible.

This technique allows Blanchett to dominate the film in a way that few actresses are allowed to, and she doesn't get away with it. Even when Lydia's control over her situation begins to slip, Blanchett's pressure on Tara is ever-present. The film is undoubtedly a one-woman show that few other artists have the chance to shine. As for Taro, the only other actress who manages to make a strong impression is Hoss, whose calm performance as the frail but intelligent wife Lydia is the stark contrast to Blanchett's violent turns.

However, it is Blanchett's performance that makes the biggest and strongest impression on the star. His work here manages to bring broad appeal to a film with so much special interest and references that it almost feels like a long-overdue inside joke. It's another case of Blanchett's performance being too strong to pack the terror concepts into a compelling episode. What he and Field have accomplished here is certainly admirable, but Tar Summits also seems too believable and could be a throwaway text on culture-based energy toxicity. Then again, maybe that's the point.

It opens in theaters in New York and Los Angeles on Friday, October 7. It will be distributed throughout the country within a month.