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Tar

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 Rog Wilko 18 Feb 2023

The various award systems make much of this film. Is it really that good?

 Andy Clarke 18 Feb 2023
In reply to Rog Wilko:

As a keen cinema goer, I've seen the majority of  movies getting nominations in the current awards season. Tar was the only one I came out of thinking that there was so much going on I could do with seeing it again. It's definitely worth checking out. And if you can find anywhere screening Enys Men, grab the opportunity.

ETA: Am I right in thinking you're a Mahler fan? If so, I should give the 5th a spin before going to see Tar.

Post edited at 22:15
 wert 18 Feb 2023
In reply to Rog Wilko: I didn’t think so. It’s just a character based film. The music takes a serious backseat unfortunately and her conducting is wild. 

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 Paul Sagar 19 Feb 2023
In reply to Rog Wilko:

I thought it was excellent for most of the movie, but it lost me with where it chose to go by way of ending. However a friend thought differently and we had a very good conversation about why I thought it didn’t work and he thought it did. I thought about the film for many days afterwards, and I can’t remember the last time that happened - so I’d strongly recommend seeing it for yourself to decide. 

Once you’ve seen it, Zadie Smith wrote an excellent piece in the New York Review of Books about it, which I’d also highly recommend. 

Also, the soundtrack is phenomenally good. 

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 Paul Sagar 19 Feb 2023
In reply to wert:

That’s a bit like saying “Jaws is just a shark based film, and the boat captaining is wild, where the swimming takes a back seat unfortunately”…

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 wert 19 Feb 2023
In reply to Paul Sagar: Jaws doesn’t pretend to be about anything other than a big fish. Cate Blanchett has spent many hours in interviews saying how much she immersed herself in the music, learned how to conduct etc. Shame there wasn’t more of that in the movie. It’s a film about a controlling personality and declining mental health, the music just makes a different setting to other films that have similar themes. The music is secondary, which for me, was disappointing. 

Post edited at 09:16
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OP Rog Wilko 19 Feb 2023
In reply to Rog Wilko:

Well, I have seen the film already, but was interested to see what others thought.

I have several criticisms.
First, much too long. Most films are about 100 minutes in length and I reckon if you haven’t got your message across by then, it needs cuts. I almost fell asleep in the interminable interview at the start.

Second, deliberately obscure. Apart from some banter in the Juilliard scenes I couldn’t see what her supposed misdeeds added up to.

Third, so many bits of plot were either never fully explained or just looked to be deliberately misleading and/or totally irrelevant to the plot. We never find out anything about the legal stuff, or anything about the suicidal student. When she followed the cellist through the doorway it was like the wardrobe in various children’s tales where you emerge in a totally different world. What was she doing wandering around the cellar? Why did she rush out in terror? Reminded me of Cold Comfort Farm and “saw something nasty in the woodshed”. 
Pretentious tosh is my verdict.

edit spelliing (still not sure)

Post edited at 10:40
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 Andy Clarke 19 Feb 2023
In reply to Rog Wilko:

If you thought Tar was pretentious tosh, make sure to ignore my recommendation of Enys Men!

OP Rog Wilko 19 Feb 2023
In reply to Andy Clarke:

Thanks, I will!

 Hooo 19 Feb 2023
In reply to Andy Clarke:

A friend persuaded me to go and see Enys Men. It was a very convincing attempt to make a film that looked like some pretentious arty twaddle from the 70s. I still don't understand why, or what it was supposed to be about.

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 Andy Clarke 20 Feb 2023
In reply to Hooo:

Which pretentious arty twaddles from the 70s did you have in mind? They're probably some of my favourite films.

OP Rog Wilko 20 Feb 2023
In reply to Hooo:

Thanks for the warning.

In reply to RogI Wilko:

Blanchett is the best thing about it - a subtle, quite nasty character - but it's too long. It would benefit from being about half an hour shorter.

 Paul Sagar 20 Feb 2023
In reply to wert:

I’m afraid if you think Jaws is just a film above a shark, then you haven’t understood what Jaws is about. 

Agree with others that Tár is too long and too messy (lots of unclosed loops). But aspects of it are excellent. The scene with the pangender bipoc student who isn’t like really into Bach is sublime. And close to the bone if you teach at university level (as I do). 

Post edited at 17:18
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