Tag: Leadership

Mature Women/Mature Dramas: “Fleishman is in Trouble” (Hulu), “Dead Ringers” (Amazon Prime), & “The Diplomat” (Netflix)

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Fleishman is in Trouble (2022) starring Jesse Eisenberg, Claire Danes, Lizzy Caplan, & Adam Brody

“Fleishman Is in Trouble” follows recently-separated surgeon Toby Fleishman as he enters the world of app-based dating and finds more success than he ever had the last time he was single. When his ex-wife Rachel disappears, he’s left with their kids and no hint of where she is or whether she plans to return. Balancing parenting, friends, a long-awaited promotion at the hospital, and all the eligible women Manhattan has to offer, he realizes that he’ll never be able to figure out what happened to Rachel until he can more honestly examine what happened to their marriage. Libby is Toby’s long-time friend and the narrator. -Synopsis (The Hollywood Reporter)

During a JAN 2023 interview w/ Tonya Mosley on NPR’s Fresh Air, Taffy Brodesser-Akner (a 1st time showrunner/creator) confirmed that many of the main cast were chosen at least partly b/c they’d been well-known as teens and were now middle-aged: “It was so intentional. It was–you know, there was this idea that these actors were too young to play these roles. […] But most of all . . . if I don’t, as a 40-year-old, yet understand what is happening to me in my life, the idea that Jesse Eisenberg–yes, from The Squid And The Whale, yes, from The Social Network–that it’s happening to him, too, that it’s happening to Claire Danes from My So-Called Life, that it’s happening to–oh, my gosh–to Adam Brody [from The O.C.], to Lizzy Caplan [from Mean Girls], to Josh Radnor–all these people that we knew so well as very, very young people. It hits home for me so much to say, oh, my God, this is a force you cannot fight–if you’re lucky. If you’re lucky and you get to live, this is a force that you won’t be able to fight. We’re all going to get old.”

At first, you think this show (a limited series w/ 8 eps) is all about Toby: his (newly) single life, job as a doc, and parenting 2 (adorable) kids. However, after 3 eps, the show dives deep into th the lives of his old pals, Seth (Brody) and Libby (Caplan), then ex-wife Rachel (Danes). This is a show centered on mature, intelligent, successful, and thoughtful women (perhaps reminding us of a gal pal or fam IRL). Libby is happily married to a loving/supportive hubby; she recently became a SAHM (stay at home mom), BUT this role leaves her dissatisfied. Rachel is NOT the villain that Toby paints her as in the early eps; she’s a V complicated woman who has suffered trauma. Danes is known for her ability to access (V strong) emotions in her acting; she continues to impress here. As one viewer wrote: “It is thought provoking and rich on several levels. Its main achievement is to get the viewer to sympathize with then later become cold towards certain characters. The subjectivity of perception is examined. I was reminded how quick we are to judge.” Other viewers noted being surprised (in good ways). There are moments that are just cringe-y, emotional, and/or funny (often coming off as too real). Though these are upper middle-class/ Jewish ppl living in NYC (and nearby ‘burbs), most of their struggles are universal. If you’re single (over 35), you may relate to Seth; he’s in finance (like many in NYC), extroverted, and dates often; he’s still hoping for a deep connection w/ a woman.

Dead Ringers (2023) starring Rachel Weisz

The Mantle twins, identical from head to toe, are on a mission to change the way women give birth. -Synopsis

Warning: This show is NOT for more “sensitive” viewers who generally avoid “body horror” (incl. blood), dysfunctional relationships, and dark themes. Are you a fan of the 1988 David Cronenberg film Dead Ringers? Then, you may want to check out this show (6 eps; limited series). I don’t think I’ve seen anything like this before; it was tough to watch sometimes! The Mantels are NYC-based OBGYNs on the cutting edge of their profession; their dream is to have a birthing clinic where pregnant women (of all incomes/backgrounds) can go to deliver their babies. Elliott and Beverly (Brits) are played by a woman (Weisz in a dual role); we know she can handle any type of role. Weisz explained that she’d shoot a scene as Elliot 1st, opposite scene partner/stand-in (Kitty Hawthorne- recently graduated from RADA), before heading back into hair/makeup to transform into Beverly. Then Weisz (who didn’t attend acting school) would act out the same scene w/ an earpiece in place (so she could hear her own lines). There are strong supporting performances; I was esp. impressed w/ Jennifer Ehle (who also played a key role in She Said) as a tough/uber-wealthy/businesswoman interested in investing in the clinic. The show is smart, atmospheric, and is centered on a (real-world issue)- maternal child mortality. However, there is a TOO much going; some scenes may be confusing (even if paying close attn) and a few characters aren’t well-developed. I wasn’t a fan of the (dark) lighting/filters used in certain scenes. Women (of diverse backgrounds) are prominent in front of and behind the camera. This is an ambitious endeavor, BUT certainly NOT for everyone!

The Diplomat (2023) starring Keri Russell & Rufus Sewell

In the midst of an international crisis, Kate Wyler, a career diplomat, lands in a high-profile job for which she is not suited, with tectonic implications for her marriage and her political future. -Synopsis

Are you a fan of The West Wing, Veep and/or political shows? Then this is the series (9 eps) for you! The showrunner (Debora Cain) worked on The West Wing earlier in her career. We are in a time when both the man and the woman in a relationship are in high-status/high-paying careers. Kate (Keri Russell- worked w/ Adam Driver on Bdwy in 2019) and Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell) are an attractive/smart/mature “power couple” in diplomacy. They met on the job many years ago, BUT are now serious re: divorce (though keeping it quiet). These actors have great chemistry and play both comedy and drama well. Sewell (who still looks handsome) can do an American accent nicely; he’s perhaps best known for British period dramas. Russell and David Gyasi (who plays British Foreign Sect. Austin Dennison) also have great chemistry; we wonder what could happen when they have to work closely together. I think Gyasi (who in his mannerisms reminded me of Sidney Poitier) has a bright future ahead! Rory Kinnear (who plays Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge) is also V interesting to watch; you never know what he’ll say. This show is intelligent, well-written, and easy to binge. I can’t wait for Season 2!

Quick Reviews of Four Neo Noirs

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The Big Easy (1986) starring Dennis Quaid & Ellen Barkin

He’s got to hide the truth. She’ll stop at nothing to find out. But tonight, everything’s off the record.

-Taglines for the film

Lt. Remy McSwain (Quaid), a cop in Homicide, finds that he has 2 probs: 1) a brutal series of gang killings and 2) Ann Osborne (Barkin), an attorney from the D.A.’s police corruption task force. He begins a relationship w/ her as the killings continue, only to have charges filed against him for accepting bribes (after he stumbles into a sting operation). Meanwhile, the criminal leaders insist that none of their gangs are behind the killings. FYI: Jim Garrison (the judge in Remy’s bribery case) was a real lawyer and judge. He was, for a time, the DA of NOLA. A case he had while in that position was the subject of Oliver Stone’s JFK (1991); Garrison was played by Kevin Costner.

In the opening credits, we see over the bayous and countryside rushing by below (w/ the energetic zydeco music- played through the film). The filmmakers do a good job at bringing NOLA to life w/ its sights and sounds (incl. Creole dialects). Quaid (TOO pushy to get a date in the first 20 mins; this kind of behavior would NOT work today) plays a man who is energetic, obstinate, and self-assured. However, he gets to reveal another (emotional) side when the story asks for it. Quaid also sings a song! Barkin does an better job at selling the movie (as some critics noted); Anne is a woman who is strong, BUT also vulnerable (being unlucky w/ romance in the past). Barkin and Quaid (both 32 y.o.) have a chemistry that is playful and hot; they both said this was their fave movie! There is a (much discussed) love scene where they’re partly clothed, BUT he goes down on her (V rare to see onscreen at that time). A phone call interrupts them (of course), so they have to rush over to a crime scene. A bit later on, there is another (also good) love scene. The supporting characters (cops) incl. John Goodman, Lisa Jane Persky, and Ned Beatty. Unfortunately, the few Italian and Black characters aren’t shown in a nuanced manner.

Mortal Thoughts (1991) starring Demi Moore, Glenne Headly, & Bruce Willis

Something terrible happened that night. Something everyone wanted to talk about. Something no one was telling the truth about. -Taglines for the film

A young hairdresser/wife/mom, Cynthia Kellogg (Moore- w/ big/permed hair), is in a police station (in Bayonne, NJ) being interrogated by an experienced cop, Det. John Woods (Harvey Keitel), and his younger/female partner. Through flashbacks, Cynthia explains how her bestie/co-worker, Joyce (Glenne Headly), married her loud/macho/jobless hubby, James Urbaniak (Bruce Willis); how hard Joyce’s marriage was; and why Joyce ended up killing James (in self-defense). The cop (who is smarter than he acts) finds some contradictions in her statement and pushes Cynthia, trying to get her to disclose the whole truth.

The film’s title refers to Macbeth (Act I, Scene 5), in which Lady Macbeth says: “Come, you spirits / That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here / And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full / Of direst cruelty…” Siskel and Ebert noted that they liked the movie, esp. the friend relationship btwn. Moore and Headley (who has appeared in theater and many indies). Willis plays a wholly unredeemable villain; he creates a cartoonish character (w/ a NOT so cute goatee). Moore and Willis were married at this time. I found the themes here compelling and it kept my interest; Moore does a good job here (as she is adept at projecting vulnerability). There is a twist in this movie, which makes sense, BUT I didn’t see coming!

Under Suspicion (1991) starring Liam Neeson, Laura San Giacomo, & Kenneth Cranham

How close can you get to a killer before you’re too close? -Tagline for the film

I learned about this movie (set in 1959 in the seaside town of Brighton, England) on the Fatal Attractions podcast. Disgraced cop turned PI, Tony Aaron (Neeson), falsifies adulteries for use as evidence in divorce cases. He involves his wife as the fictional co-respondent for painter Carlo Stasio, BUT both of them are shot dead in a hotel room. In charge of the case is Frank (Cranham), Tony’s former partner who still works on the police force. Frank’s most likely suspects are Angeline (San Giacomo), Stasio’s young/American mistress, who is set to inherit his house and paintings, and Tony himself, whose story doesn’t add up.

It’s NOT easy to get a movie made in the UK, so I think these filmmakers deserve respect for giving it a shot. It MAY be tough for some modern viewers to see Neeson in this (loser-type) role; also, there is no chemistry btwn him and San Giacomo. It looks like they don’t believe the words they’re are saying in the love scenes- a bad sign. The pacing is quite slow, BUT there is good dialogue and colorful supporting actors. There are lovely location shots and some cool-looking costumes (esp. hats and jackets). Cranham did a fine job as a weary/experienced detective. There is a twist ending which I did NOT see coming!

China Moon (1994) starring Ed Harris, Madeleine Stowe, Benicio Del Toro, & Charles Dance

He thought it was passion. It was deceit. He thought it was love. It was murder. -Taglines for the film

This movie was filmed in 1990-91, BUT was thrown into limbo when Orion filed for bankruptcy in late ’91. After a reorganization of the production company, the film finally had its release in 1994. This is a tightly edited (99 min.) simple story in the vein of Body Heat (1981), which is also set in a small Florida town. Det. Kyle Bodine (Harris) quickly falls for Rachel (Stowe) who is trapped in a violent marriage w/ a wealthy banker, Rupert Munro (Charles Dance- w/ blonde hair and a posh Southern accent). Many will know Dance from his (more recent) role of Tywin Lannister on GoT; as a younger actor, he played many baddies. After Rachel shoots her hubby during a domestic fight, Kyle (reluctantly) agrees to help her hide the body. Soon after, Kyle’s younger partner, Det. Lamar Dickey (Del Toro- just 24 w/ a baby face), starts showing initiative and finding clues. As one fan of this (lesser-known) noir wrote: “The main reason to check his out is a great performance from Ed Harris. The feeling of him being sucked into something is written all over his face, and the way he goes from cop in control of all the details into a hunted animal is really good. Stowe is also really good and the support cast also has quality…” Siskel and Ebert liked this movie also, incl. the chemistry btwn Harris and Stowe. There is a twist (which was a surprise), BUT makes sense!

“Fatal Attraction” (Paramount+): Episode 1

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A deep-dive reimagining of the classic 80s thriller, exploring timeless themes of marriage and infidelity through the lens of modern attitudes toward strong women, personality disorders and coercive control. -Synopsis

Introduction:

Are you a fan of the (iconic) movie Fatal Attraction (1987) starring Michael Douglas and Glenn Close, or perhaps the erotic thriller genre? If so, then you may want to check out this new Paramount+ streaming show (w/ a subscription on Amazon Prime). Three eps were released last SUN (April 30th); there will be a total of 8 eps (about 1 hr./ea.) For fans of the original, there are “Easter eggs” to be found, as co-writer Alexandra Cunningham noted. James Dearden (who wrote the original screenplay) is credited; long-time fans may recognize (discarded) ideas from his original script. Beth has a much larger role to play; she has a small business (so is not a housewife). Dearden originally wrote Beth as a schoolteacher who’d taken a few yrs off, BUT was planning to return to work. Producers didn’t like that idea, so that’s why movie Beth (Ann Archer) was an ideal “happy homemaker.”

Episode 1:

15 years after Alex Forrest’s murder, Dan Gallagher is paroled and reaches out to his estranged daughter Ellen. In the past, a crushing career defeat drives him to first connect with Alex. -Synopsis of the pilot episode

Do you know the (alternate) ending to the ’80s movie which the producers rejected? That finale included Dan being convicted of murdering Alex! The ep opens w/ Dan’s hearing in front of the parole board; he has served his sentence of 15 yrs. It sounds like he has been a model prisoner during this time. His manner is humble and his speech is V serious/calm. Though he doesn’t notice her, the adult Ellen (a grad student in Psychology) is at the hearing.

The setting of the story has been moved from NYC to LA. In 2008, Dan (Joshua Jackson, 45 y.o.) is still a lawyer, BUT he’s a Deputy District Attorney (NOT in corporate law). As in the movie, he has a comfy home, loving wife (Beth), and young daughter (Ellen is aged up to 8 y.o.) He seems to be respected/liked by most of his colleagues at the Criminal Courts Building. Dan is turning 40 soon and up for a judgeship. Alex (Lizzy Caplan, 40 y.o.) isn’t a book editor here; she works in Victims Services (and is also a colleague of Dan’s). In the era of #MeToo, this adds another layer to the classic story of infidelity.

This show has 2 timelines: the present (2023) has a cool color palette, while the time period of the affair/its aftermath (2008) has a warmer look. In the past, Dan is often in the center of the frame (as one would typically present a main character). He wears suits, talks fast, and walks in an upright/confident manner. In the present, Dan is sometimes on the sidelines (as the story is NOT just his anymore). He has more gray hair, is dressed V casually, talks carefully (slowly) and has his head/shoulders lowered. There is more to see, so check out the show for yourself!

My first reaction was that I missed the (more glam) setting of Manhattan. Then, I wondered how much of the story would focus on law and order. Ellen’s focus is on Carl Jung; I wonder if this may play out in the show. Do you think the casting of the leads is fitting? I will keep on watching and post review of the full series when it has finished. If you’re active on Twitter, I’ve posted some related tweets. (See videos below.)

Women, Power, & Desire: “Impulse” (1990) & “Body of Evidence” (1992)

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Impact (1990) starring Theresa Russell, Jeff Fahey, & George Dzundza

She’s an undercover cop. Seduced by a fantasy. Trapped in a mystery. Led by a dangerous impulse. It’s easy to lose control. -Taglines for the film

This is a psychological thriller co-written by a woman (Leigh Chapman) and directed by a woman- Sondra Locke (who had a palimony suit against Clint Eastwood while making this film). I learned re: Locke’s and Eastwood’s (turbulent) relationship on a recent ep of the podcast You Must Remember This (hosted by Karina Longworth). Yikes, Eastwood does NOT come out looking good! It was V difficult for Locke (who worked as an actress on Eastwood’s projects) to get funding for this small-budget movie (distributed by Warner Bros). In some ways, it’s ahead of it’s time!

Lottie Mason (Russell) is an undercover cop in the LAPD; she’s tall, blonde, and tough (ONLY trusts in herself). Her boss, Lt. Joe Morgan (Dzundza), has been sexually harassing her; we learn this in an early scene. Her bills are piling up and she is TOO invested in her job. While Lottie is helping an ADA- Stan (Fahey)- set-up a drug buy w/ a witness he needs for a case, they become romantically involved. They have a love scene which is unusual for that era, as it’s mainly re: intense gazes (which build tension).

It’s rare (even today) to see a movie centered on a female cop; it has become common on TV/streaming shows. Impulse is gritty, moody, and Russell is believable as a street-smart/independent-minded woman (w/ a hidden soft side). Lottie’s nights of dealing w/ lowlifes has affected her personal life; her Vice assignments incl. impersonating streetwalkers and junkies. She has mandated therapy sessions w/ Dr. Gardner (Lynn Thigpen), where she admits to having a fantasy of losing control and acting on (darker) impulses. Though some viewers felt it was a BIT slow, I think fans of the noir genre or cop dramas may like it. Both Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert called this “a V good thriller.” You can see it on Freevee.)

Body of Evidence (1992) starring Madonna & Willem Dafoe

An act of love, or an act of murder? -Tagline for the film

An elderly millionaire in Portland is found dead of heart failure handcuffed to his bed; a home video of him and a woman is running in the background. When cocaine is found in his system, and his will leaves $8 million to this woman (his lover)- Rebecca Carlson (Madonna)- police arrest her on suspicion of murder. Her lawyer, Frank Dulaney (Dafoe), succumbs to her charms and they start a (reckless) affair. As new evidence turns up during trial, Frank begins to wonder if he’s defending a murderer. (I saw the R-rated version on Freevee; many yrs. ago, I saw it on cable.)

Frank Dulaney: It’s not a crime to be a great lay!

Robert Garrett: Well, sure. l’d have to have myself indicted.

Body of Evidence is often (negatively) compared to Basic Instinct; shooting began only 2 weeks after that film was released, so the similarities are probably coincidental. However, the huge success of Paul Verhoeven’s film could still have influenced the direction and editing. Madonna met w/ a (real-life) dominatrix, who taught her how to tie someone’s arms behind their back using a belt. Dafoe attended a criminal trial; it was interrupted when several people (incl. the judge and many jurors) recognized him and wanted to talk. This is on Roger Ebert’s 2005 list of his most hated films. If you enjoy comedy podcasts, check out the ep reviewing this movie on How Did This Get Made?

Frank Dulaney: Counsel for the Prosecution has already used this witness to establish the state of mind of the deceased. He opened the can, Your Honor.

Judge Burnham: And I do see worms crawling all around you, Mr. Garrett.

Madonna was the 1st choice to play Rebecca; producer Dino De Laurentiis purchased the script b/c he believed it was the perfect role for her. She has short/platinum hair, V pale (unflattering) makeup, red lipstick, and designer clothes. Madonna personally selected Dafoe as her co-star, BUT they have no romantic chemistry together! As many filmmakers have noted over the yrs, casting is V important. Also, where is the development of the characters!? Frank seems eager (quite early on) to do what Rebecca prefers. In one of the (later) steamy scenes, Dafoe looks hesitant (as if performing a chore). Madonna’s acting coach quit just before production began, claiming that “she thinks she knows everything.” As this movie will show, she is a V limited actress. The dialogue given to her is NO help at all! The movie’s (German) director, Uli Edel, said Madonna refused to be directed in the sex scenes. She insisted on pouring (real/hot) wax on Dafoe’s chest in (perhaps the most controversial) scene- ouch! To y’all younger gen viewers, little of this content will look daring.

I was too young to know better. It was the first time I’d been asked to get naked and it turned out to be completely extraneous and gratuitous. Ugh. It was a terrible film and a terrible performance by me. It was about nothing, and I didn’t need to be doing it. -Julianne Moore

Joe Mantegna (who plays prosecutor Robert Garrett) said filming the courtroom scenes was so tedious that 2 extras (jurors) fell asleep during Dafoe’s closing statement. Mantegna (always reliable) yelled at them to wake them up- LOL! The director doesn’t know how to make the trial visually interesting. The judge has lines which (in retrospect) are sassy/funny. Anne Archer does OK what little she is given. A young Julianne Moore plays Sharon (Frank’s wife); she runs a successful restaurant and is mom to a preteen son (seen in just one scene). Moore (who can tackle any role) later said she regretted taking this on; she was then new to movies. Frank Langella has a small/pivotal role as a man from Rebecca’s past. One of Madonna’s besties (actress Sandra Bernhard) was heard laughing at the premiere, commenting: “This is not a serious movie!”

[1] It is both as bad as you remember it, but somehow endlessly entertaining.

[2] The movie goes from the ridiculous to the sublime and every thing else in between, and by the time the movie is over, you feel like you went over Niagara Falls on a surf board.

[3] The courtroom and crime scenes is just background to what the movie is, Madonna in the bedroom.

[4] …might have been much more fun had it the slightest sense of humor. Alas, all the laughs here are unintentional, and the straight-faced actors just end up looking foolish. […] For camp-addicts, a hoot; all others beware.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews

#Oscars: “Tar” (2022) starring Cate Blanchett, Noemie Merlant, Nina Hoss, Sophie Kauer, Mark Strong, & Julian Glover

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Set in the international world of Western classical music, the film centers on Lydia Tár, widely considered one of the greatest living composer-conductors and the very first female director of a major German orchestra. -Synopsis

Lydia Tár: Don’t be so eager to be offended. The narcissism of small differences leads to the most boring kind of conformity.

Conductor/composer Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett), the first female principal music director of the Berlin Philharmonic, is at the top of her game. She is known as a trailblazer in the male-dominated classical music world. Lydia prepares for the release of her memoir while tackling work and family. She is preparing for one of her biggest challenges: a live recording of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5. However, forces she can’t control chip away at Lydia’s facade, revealing her dirty secrets and the corrupting nature of power. At the 95th Academy Awards, Tár received 6 noms: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing.

Lydia Tár: You want to dance the mask, you must service the composer. You gotta sublimate yourself, your ego, and, yes, your identity. You must, in fact, stand in front of the public and God and obliterate yourself.

Writer/director Todd Field wrote the film specifically for Blanchett and wouldn’t have made the film w/o her; they previously planned to work on a different film that Field could not acquire financing for. Focus Features told Field that they would produce any film that he wanted as long as it was at a certain budget. Blanchett had to re-learn the piano, learned how to speak German, and learned how to conduct an orchestra for the role. Scenes of the orchestra playing are 100% real; Blanchett was actually conducting the Dresden Orchestra. Hungarian pianist and professor at the Hungarian Academy of Music, Emese Virág, helped Blanchett prepare for her role. To bring Tár’s (carefully cultivated) speaking voice into being, she listened to recordings of Susan Sontag.

Lydia Tár: Unfortunately, the architect of your soul appears to be social media.

Is this a real person!? You wouldn’t be alone in wondering this, like my friends and I did when we watched it (Amazon). Near the start of the movie, Tár (who is fictional) is interviewed by Adam Gopnik, a New Yorker reporter, in a V long scene supposed to be taking place at the mag’s annual festival. Her book is being published by Nan Talese at Doubleday. Tar’s suits are tailored by Egon Brandstetter, who plays himself. Even the young Russian cellist, Olga Metkina (Sophie Kauer), is played by a British-German musician who recently got into acting.

The very first scene we shot was a post-rehearsal scene… at the Dresden Philharmonie that’s supposed to be after the very first rehearsal that we see of the Mahler. It was the three of them, it was Cate Blanchett, Nina Hoss and Noémie Merlant, and I remember that first take, and it just, it took my breath away because that’s a part of filmmaking… It’s the magical part of filmmaking. It’s beyond the camera, it’s beyond the lighting, it’s beyond your lens choice, it’s beyond all of – art direction, everything else. It’s human beings in front of a camera that can do MAGICAL things. And that part of it felt like a long overdue homecoming. -Todd Field, on returning to feature filmmaking after 16 yrs.

Can you separate the art from the artist? During a lunch convo btwn Tar and her mentor/friend Andris Davis (Julian Glover), he mentions several real conductors: James Levine, Charles Dutoit, and Wilhelm Furtwängler. In 2017, Dutoit was accused of multiple sexual assaults over several decades; he resigned as artistic director/principal conductor of the Royal Philharmonic. In 2018, the Met announced that James Levine, their principal conductor since 1972, had been fired in the wake of multiple sexual assault allegations and investigations. Wilhelm Furtwängler was principal conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic (1922-1945); though he made symbolic nods toward independence, he was the most prominent conductor to remain in Germany during the Nazi regime and was known as Hitler’s favorite conductor.

She’s always been a key reference for me. I like to re-watch my favorite scenes of hers, sometimes right before I shoot a scene myself; not to copy her, just because it gives me energy. Working with her was mind-blowing. -Noemie Merlant

This film looks and sounds authentic; the viewer is taken (perhaps too deep) into the world of classical music. It’s obvious that Field was given a LOT of freedom to make his vision come to life. Yes, it’s V long (as w/ most movies lately); I think this is one of it’s few weaknesses. Blanchett continues to impress; she can truly play any role! All the supporting players do a fine job; the acting is subtle and realistic IMO. Merlant (who is French) continues to be one of the young’uns to watch; I think she did FAB in Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019). I got a kick out of seeing Mark Strong (wearing a hairpiece) playing a wealthy businessman who is an insecure conductor. FYI: He is still my fave Mr. Knightley.

[1] Tár is a dense film. Thick with dialogue and emotional power. It’s also a bit tricky to get in to and might be a bit much for the casual viewer. That’s a shame though as it’s great.

[2] I seriously doubt that I’ll ever skip a Cate Blanchett movie. She’s won two Oscars and has been nominated six times. She’s consistently the best part of her movies, and often the best in a full year of movies. […] Ms. Blanchett is fascinating and mesmerizing to watch. She is at the top of her game playing a perfectionist who is at the top of her game. However, it’s clear this film isn’t likely to strike the right notes with mainstream audiences.

[3] The central topic emerges rather quickly (abuse of power), but there are diversions which support character development, yet drag on the narrative, which is probably why many reviews here find the film frustrating. […] Field expects viewers to interpret a lot on their own, which is bold and demanding, but with this approach it is crucial to keep focus on an underlying message, otherwise it gets lost. […] In conclusion, “Tár” has all the ingredients for a masterpiece – interesting characters, great performances, nice camerawork – but weak storytelling ultimately reduces the film’s potential.

[4] Near perfection from Blanchett. It’s a steamy, slow burn with a massive payoff, even at 150+ minutes. Cate Blanchett’s range of emotions exhibited through her acting is superb. The closeup orchestra rehearsal scenes are extraordinarily insightful for those who maybe have never been a part of a performing ensemble.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews