Saturday, February 18, 2023

Tar (2022)

 Pros: This film is a masterpiece. Despite the nuances in the screenplay, it is complex and intriguing. Lydia Tar (Cate Blanchett) is an accomplished conductor and composer, and while she makes some good points defending long dead, racist white musicians, she's also a manipulative bitch. A female version of Harvey Weinstein. So yes, it is full of twists and turns and nasty breakdowns, and Blanchett delivers a masterful performance. And given the screenplay, this film deserves a second viewing just to pick up on all the pieces, tidbits left throughout to help you figure out the complex mind of flawed and immoral genius Lydia Tar.

Cons: Sure, Lydia suffers for her actions, as she should, resigned to Bangkok to conduct some sort of comic-con symphony, and she loses her child, but does she suffer enough? I guess the viewer is supposed to be the judge.

Recommend: Yes

Grade: A

Side Notes:

-Lydia's actual name is Linda, yeah, that was a surprising turn. 

-Lydia sets her sights on Russian cellist, Olga (Sophie Kauer) but she doesn't bite.

-Lydia is sneaky and manipulative to get what she wants, but even her own marriage to Sharon (Nina Hoss) starts out on the wrong foot as Sharon is her key to conducting the Berlin orchestra.

-Hildur Gudnadittir's score was not Oscar-nominated, which is just unacceptable.

-Sure, she's mean to the Julliard student and goes about her completely valid point in the totally wrong way. To quote Taylor Swift, she's casually cruel in the name of being honest. 

-Clearly Lydia screwed over Krista, who proceeds to commit suicide.

-Lydia is deposed to due a lawsuit surrounding Krista's death and while that is customary, I'm surprised at the rapid speed as to which it occurs. 

-Lydia can't even admit that she tripped up the stairs, lying being a fool and stating that someone attacked her, which is not acceptable. 

-You can't come back after publicly and vicious assaulting someone as Lydia did. 

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