Tár - a film by Todd Field
Everyone seems to agree that Cate Blanchett is magnificent in Todd Field’s latest film, Tár. I’ll place on a limit on this - she doesn’t carry the film; it’s a taunt ensemble piece and here Field pulls off the first of many sleights of hand. It makes no more sense to see the film as a result of Blanchett’s acting than to believe a piece of music only exists because of the conductor. In Tár, I watched three tropes twist, weave and bind the narrative, and came out of the cinema both dazzled by a great piece of film making, and a bit bewildered by what the fuck so many critics or commentators thought they’d seen. Firstly, this is a savage witty rendering of the classic music world. Field has talked about the privilege of seeing his script evolve and mature through his direction and then editing into something close to his vision. But Field shouldn’t in any way downplay how brilliant his writing and research is. The film shimmers with the same veracity that Byatt or Mantel bring to their w
