Dramatic, artsy, a bit long but compelling - TAR starring Cate Blanchett is a film I had dismissed until I read rave reviews.
The story isn't necessarily original. A maestro with a huge resume is about to complete the full Mahler symphonies with a live recording of the number 5, considered a tour de force assignment. The movie follows the conductor and all of the backstage life drama, backstabbing, machinations, loves, histrionics, and breakdowns.
The key is the conductor - Lydia Tar played by Cate Blanchett. This is an Academy Award performance and I will be shocked if she is not nominated in 2023. She is on screen one hundred percent of the time, and she is remarkable. She is canny, imperious, brilliant, scathing, and superb. Her face - the eyes, the smile, the cheekbones - all on subtle display. She delivers her lines smoothly with undertones of the madness within.
Bravo, maestro!
