"TÁR" is an exceptional film with a terrible ending

By Ben Miller

I can't say I went into Todd Field's TÁR, only his third film, with any sort of expectations.  Rave after rave of Cate Blanchett's performance piqued my interest but I wanted to go in with fresh eyes so I didn't read them. The opening credits hit.  We're in for something different.  Then we get Lydia Tár's introduction and her interview with Adam Gopnik.  All the way on board. The next two hours were magical, transfixing.  This is a perfect film. It might be my new number one of the year!  Everything was working.  The tone, the supporting players, the drama, the comedy.  Nothing was missing.

But then we reached the last 15 minutes. SPOILERS AHEAD - READ ONLY IF YOU'VE SEEN TÁR...

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Breaking: "Hot Ones" now a genuine stop during Oscar campaigns

by Nathaniel R

img via "Hot Ones" on YouTube

We're not the first to observe this but lately Oscar winners/hopefuls have been appearing on "Hot Ones". The popular YouTube show features celebrities testing their tolerance for increasingly molten hot sauce on chicken wings. They then try and promote their work while in visible pain. The show launched seven years ago and went viral in its second season with a Key & Peele episode. The early seasons were mostly musicians, comedians, and tv personalities but major actresses are appearing regularly now. Cate Blanchett's episode was released yesterday...

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"TÁR" and "Aftersun" lead the 2022 Gotham Award Nominations

by Nathaniel R

The Gotham Awards, the East Coast indie prizes that pair nicely with the West Coast's much-later Spirit Awards, have announced their nominations for the 2022 film year so we're officially off! Todd Field & Cate Blanchett's collaboration TÁR and Charlotte Wells' debut film Aftersun (both fairly new in theaters) most impressed the various juries that the Gothams assign to categories each year. They led the way with four nominations each across the 8 film categories. Other films that have reason to celebrate today include but are not limited to Everything Everywhere All At Once and two films that have not yet opened for moviegoers, the gay military drama The Inspection (Nov 18th) and Sarah Polley's return with Women Talking (Dec 2nd).  Finally we've got a double acting nominee this year despite so few categories with Ben Whishaw nominated for both film  (Women Talking) and television work (This is Going to Hurt). 

Full list of nominees after the jump...

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Middleburg Day 1: Two Adam Drivers, Three for Cate Blanchett, and a Tenth Anniversary

by Nathaniel R

"Is this starting to looking familiar?," the driver asked as we neared our destination, surrounded by lush greens on every side. Yes, yes, it's all very familiar. Horse and wine country. We've been coming to the Middleburg Film Festival, for so many years now that it now has the kind of nostalgic pull that only comes from the combo of staying power and lovely memories. The festival launched back in 2012. On Thursday October 13th, opening day in 2022, sandwiched between the first screening (TÁR) and the opening night film (White Noise), the festival's founder Sheila Johnson, welcomed corporate sponsors, select press, and Virginia power players like Middleburg's Mayor at a special reception to toast the 10th Anniversary edition of the festival...

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The Fault in Our 'TÁR'

by Nathaniel R

Cate Blanchett as "TÁR" © Focus Features

The world famous conductor Lydia Tár is breathing strangely in the wings. As she inhales and exhales forcefully with tiny staccato bursts of her facial muscles, the image of a rock star hopping in place, self-hyping before their concert is conjured. Will Tár's elite audience devolve into a hysterical screaming teenager at the first sight of her?

Conductor as rock star? It's a rare and incredulous notion. Gone are the days of monoculture when a "Maestro" like Leonard Bernstein (emphatically name checked) could become a household name. But in Todd Field's TÁR we believe it, surely in part because one of the most famous movie stars in the world is playing her. In the year of our lord 2022, Cate Blanchett needs no introduction; Lydia Tár is a different story, and her introduction -- an exhausting recitation of her many diverse accomplishments as she turns 50 -- is a doozy...

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