Stick with Blanchett during tough time Drama displays disintegrating career
Tar Cate Blanchett has long been one of the finest actresses of her generation.
But even considering her eyeopening back catalogue (Nightmare Alley, Carol, Blue Jasmine), Tar might just feature her best work yet.
The Australian plays world-renowned composer-conductor Lydia Tár who is forced to ponder a difficult future as sexual misconduct allegations surface.
Remarkably this is writer-director Todd Field’s first flick since 2006’s Little Children and the reason it works so well is its leading lady.
In less sure hands, a two-hour 38-minutes long, dialogue-heavy drama would have tested your patience way before the final note is played.
However, Blanchett is so good that you could probably watch her discussing her favourite song for that length of time.
Appearing in virtually every scene, the 53-year-old is a true force of nature – and genuine enigma. Without veering too much into her background, you can tell Lydia has stepped on a few toes to achieve greatness.
Beguiling and enigmatic, you’re never fully behind or against Blanchett and the deterioration in her mental state is expertly conveyed, culminating in a memorable final scene that contrasts wonderfully with the opening on-stage interview.
Noémie Merlant (Francesca), Nina Hoss (Sharon) and Sophie Kauer (Olga) gift Tar with a collection of some of the strongest female performances in recent times, while Mark Strong (Eliot) and Alec Baldwin (whose voice is featured) are in blink-and-you’ll-miss-them territory.
Field’s script doesn’t spell everything out for you, which may frustrate some viewers looking for absolute closure on all of the plot strands.
It’s a mature tale that demands your attention and the director manages to turn conducting, performance art and picking the right note into thrilling, tense moments in the spirit of Whiplash and Black Swan.
The running time is a test, but stick with the terrific Tar and Blanchett’s bombastic piece of work.