Tár (2022)
Country: US
Technical: col/2.39:1 158m
Director: Todd Field
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Noémie Merlant, Nina Hoss, Sophie Kauer, Julian Glover, Mark Strong
Synopsis:
A female conductor finds her life under scrutiny when one of her former protégées commits suicide. Her growing psychosis and defensive posture cost her the few friends she has.
Review:
As with Aronofsky's Black Swan, Field makes the mistake of thinking the only way to make classical music a suitable subject for the cinema is to turn up the psycho-volume. Blanchett's conducting technique is like a convulsive fit in a paper bag, there are countless pseudy conversations in cafes, dressing rooms and so forth that pad out the excessive length, and though the film making and acting are never less than of the highest quality, most of the time with the characters is spent trying to understand what is happening to the unattractive protagonist: troubled at night by a ticking metronome or a fridge alarm, manipulating those around her. Is the Russian cellist a plant sent to entrap her? Is the explanation of the final reel that Lydia has finally lost her mind? Is she a rube from the sticks called Linda? By then we just don't care. On the other hand quite a few female conductors did care that they were being stereotyped as psychotic lesbians.
Country: US
Technical: col/2.39:1 158m
Director: Todd Field
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Noémie Merlant, Nina Hoss, Sophie Kauer, Julian Glover, Mark Strong
Synopsis:
A female conductor finds her life under scrutiny when one of her former protégées commits suicide. Her growing psychosis and defensive posture cost her the few friends she has.
Review:
As with Aronofsky's Black Swan, Field makes the mistake of thinking the only way to make classical music a suitable subject for the cinema is to turn up the psycho-volume. Blanchett's conducting technique is like a convulsive fit in a paper bag, there are countless pseudy conversations in cafes, dressing rooms and so forth that pad out the excessive length, and though the film making and acting are never less than of the highest quality, most of the time with the characters is spent trying to understand what is happening to the unattractive protagonist: troubled at night by a ticking metronome or a fridge alarm, manipulating those around her. Is the Russian cellist a plant sent to entrap her? Is the explanation of the final reel that Lydia has finally lost her mind? Is she a rube from the sticks called Linda? By then we just don't care. On the other hand quite a few female conductors did care that they were being stereotyped as psychotic lesbians.
Country: US
Technical: col/2.39:1 158m
Director: Todd Field
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Noémie Merlant, Nina Hoss, Sophie Kauer, Julian Glover, Mark Strong
Synopsis:
A female conductor finds her life under scrutiny when one of her former protégées commits suicide. Her growing psychosis and defensive posture cost her the few friends she has.
Review:
As with Aronofsky's Black Swan, Field makes the mistake of thinking the only way to make classical music a suitable subject for the cinema is to turn up the psycho-volume. Blanchett's conducting technique is like a convulsive fit in a paper bag, there are countless pseudy conversations in cafes, dressing rooms and so forth that pad out the excessive length, and though the film making and acting are never less than of the highest quality, most of the time with the characters is spent trying to understand what is happening to the unattractive protagonist: troubled at night by a ticking metronome or a fridge alarm, manipulating those around her. Is the Russian cellist a plant sent to entrap her? Is the explanation of the final reel that Lydia has finally lost her mind? Is she a rube from the sticks called Linda? By then we just don't care. On the other hand quite a few female conductors did care that they were being stereotyped as psychotic lesbians.