I had the pleasure of watching Todd Field’s first film in over a decade prior to its US release, which is officially set for October 28th. I was blown away. TÁR is a 158-minute character study spectacle of world-renowned composer Lydia Tár and her fall from grace. It’s languid, cerebral and intimate and features Cate Blanchett as its lead in what might be the actress’s best role yet. I’m a long-time Blanchett-stan, and her performance had me gripping my seat like never before.
Blanchett made her acting debut in 1992 and has since received two Academy Awards, three Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, three Golden Globe awards and hundreds of others. There is no doubting her success and intrigue as an actress, and still the cinema finds ways to push her talents. TÁR might just be the zenith of Blanchett’s career, and I am living for it.
At its core, TÁR is a film about ego, which it projects no sooner than the opening credits. Instead of playing at the film’s end, TÁR proudly parades its crew at the start. This sets the tone for Lydia Tár’s humbling journey from monolithic to undignified.
People, whether flawed or corrupt, are rarely wholly evil. Rather than cluing audiences into how Blanchett’s character should be received, TÁR presents the raw portrait of a woman’s downfall and allows viewers to make assumptions for themselves. The film’s poignant pace and character-centric storytelling could have easily failed with a mediocre lead, but Blanchett will demand your attention with every line.
Social media reactions to Blanchett have been universal praise:
And I can’t help but agree. TÁR is a unique film, bound to scare away the casual movie-goer, but worth watching if only for its main star’s performance. Nobody slays like Cate Blanchett playing a powerhouse female lead, and I look forward to the slew of Oscars that are sure to follow this film.