THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
Believe it or not, power is one of the most unfathomable things to ever exist because the more you consume, it sooner it leaves you.
PLOT
TÁR follows Linda Tarr/Lydia Tár, the first female chief conductor of the Berlin Philarmonic. Day to day, she relies on her personal assistant Francesca (Noémie Merlant) and wife/concertmaster Sharon (Nina Hoss). The story begins with her promoting her upcoming live recording and new book to be published. After this, she would meet up with amateur conductor & investment banker Eliot Kaplan (Mark Strong) and reveal her plan to fill a new vacant cello position in Berlin and replace her assistant conductor Sebastian (Allan Corduner). Before even heading there, she receives a novel named 'Challenge' by former accordion fellow Krista Taylor, only to throw it away immediately. After this, she would spot a young cello candidate named Olga (Sophie Kauer) and ensure her to have a position in the orchestra by changing her scorecard, as well as granting her a soloist position. As she prepares for the recording, her relationships with Sharon & Francesca would slowly deteriorate when Krista kills herself after sending emails towards the former that sounded desperate. With her parents tending to sue, Lydia retains a lawyer as soon as possible. When she informs Sebastian that he'll be replaced, he expresses that he and the orchestra are aware of her favoritism, implying gossip that she grooms young women for sex. With him predicting she'll choose Francesca in exchange of sexual favors, she searches for other candidates. In her alone time, she would be haunted by noise of screaming women, similar to what Krista once made in an unsaid event. It only gets worse when The New York Post posts an article that accuses her of sexual predation and an edited video of her Juilliard class going viral. During a deposition, she is asked by the plaintiffs of Krista's emails to Francesca. With the allegations not slowing down publicly, Lydia would lose her Berlin position as conductor. Francesca would quit without notice and Sharon would bar her from their daughter out of anger over the allegations. This would only spark Tár to become deranged that she would assault her replacement Eliot in the middle of the live recording. Needing to lay low, she would return to her childhood home in Staten Island. It is there where she reunites with her brother Tony (Lee Sellers), who tells her she's forgotten her roots. The film would end with Lydia conducting undemanding work in the Philippines, creating a new score for a video game series.
THOUGHTS
There's been a fair share of films that are known to shock you, but I don't think there has been one able to do it in subtle manner until this one was made. Writer/Director Todd Field pulls this off by making a story that appears complex, but is not really. The cinematography by Florian Hoffmeister and score by Hildur Guonadóttir are done in magnificent fashion that you feel attached to what you're seeing and become incapable of looking away. Changes can become so drastic, you wouldn't care because you're too concerned on what'll happen next. The reason there becomes such a surreal attachment with this film is how Field tells us the importance of speaking up. No matter how much of a risk, there is no shame in confront those in power. This story is a perspective of an abuser trying to lie to oneself and justify the wrongful actions until it is too late. Seeing one go through downfall shows that it doesn't always work as it seems. This wouldn't be so investing without the outstanding performance from Cate Blanchett as the titular lead. From the beginning, you're moved of the success she has achieved. Seeing her put her body in motion with the music she's conducting, you know how much this means to her. That stops mattering when her true colors are shown. You want to think she's expressing tough love to her students when there is really no love at all. She clearly came off racist to the black student and didn't try sugarcoating it. And there is no argument when saying she is the absolute wrong for grooming students like Krista. For a long time, she chose to bury all the guilt until it all blew up in her face. The second Krista died, she lost all the power before she could know it. And as she was losing it all, the guilt kicked in. It is proven so when she hears Krista's screams when alone and when when vomiting after visiting a brothel in the Philippines. Seeing her regain success can imply people can recover from controversy, but that is not the point. The whole point is to never abuse your power or it will affect you significantly more than those you hurt. If you don't get that, then you're just as blind as she was. In short, TÁR is one of 2022's best films for being the most profound of the bunch, earning the Best Picture nomination in the process. You want a movie experience that is sharply intense? This is the one for you.
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