Tár (2022)

TÁR has received universal acclaim by critics. Not from me. It is overlong and mostly boring with a few moments that are engaging. Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett) is a renowned musician who is days away from recording the symphony that will elevate her career to new heights. However, as the recording session approaches, her elaborate facade begins to crumble, revealing dark secrets and her own corrosive nature of power. As she comes to terms with the consequences of her actions, Lydia must decide whether to go through with the symphony or face the truth and face her own inner demons.

You know that TÁR is going to be different when, after the movie title appears, we have to sit through what you would normally see at the end of the movie – the end credits in reverse. After that, we endure a lengthy scene of Tár being interviewed by Adam Gopnik (playing himself) on stage in front of an audience. We see hints of Tár’s character and personality. After the first hour, which feels like an eternity, when the main narrative finally gets going, it feels as though we are constantly waiting for something engaging to happen. For most of the movie, I felt like I was in that hypnogogic state we experience just as we are about to fall asleep where the mind wanders. Then, occasional, there are a few moments when something happens that prodded me to pay attention. On reflection, I’d say there are about three decent scenes in the movie with the rest being boring. The director has broken one of the cardinal rules of storytelling – show, don’t tell. For a large proportion of the film, it feels like we are being lectured to rather than immersed in a narrative that is sweeping us along.

Cate Blanchett, of course, is brilliant in her role as Tár. But it isn’t enough to make the 2h 48m runtime feel as though it is time well spent. The cinematography is visually stunning and the very few moments that the orchestra actually plays some music with Tár conducting are riveting. But there isn’t enough of them.

For me, TÁR is boring, overlong, pretentious, and fails to explore its theme of the abuse of power with any depth. Of course, the majority of those that see the movie seem to disagree with me, so you are going to have to see it yourself and make up your own mind.

(In cinemas in Australia – check your movie guide for your local show times.)