TÁR

I love a film that immerses the viewer in an unfamiliar world, in this case that of elite orchestral conductors.

In the lengthy opening scene, a live interview in front of an admiring audience, it is established that Lydia Tár is a very successful conductor, now with the Berlin Philharmonic.  It also hints at her arrogant uncompromising nature which (spoiler alert) will contribute to her ultimate fall from grace.

After that we don't get a lot of handholding as we follow Lydia in Berlin, juggling the demands of her professional position and of her personal life, married to Sharon who also happens to be a senior member of the orchestra.

Although at first all seems well, even in the early scenes there is an underlying tension, perhaps because there is a former pupil of Lydia's, Krista, who is trying to get in touch with her.  We gradually learn that Krista got on the bad side of Lydia, which has led to Krista's once-promising career stalling. 

Things really start to escalate when Krista kills herself.  At the same time Lydia is getting emotionally involved with a cellist who has recently joined the orchestra, which is of obvious concern to Sharon.

The other main character is Francesca, Lydia's assistant, who is not best pleased when Lydia doesn't make her assistant conductor.

All the while Lydia is experiencing all sorts of weirdness (a heightened sensitivity to sound, nightmares, hallucinations, chronic pain, and enigmatic patterned scribbles resembling those Krista once made) all of which suggest that Lydia is having some kind of breakdown.  

Things unravel further when an edited video emerges of Lydia browbeating a student, leading to her being suspended by the orchestra.

All of this is beautifully and precisely put together by the director and writer Todd Field. 

But things then take a very strange turn, in the closing scenes, starting with Lydia physically assaulting the conductor who has replaced her in a manner which is so ludicrous there is no way it can be part of reality.  So we are left wondering whether what we are watching is instead some sort of hallucination by Lydia. 

This quickly leads to a final extraordinary image that is funny and surreal and sad.

I ended up feeling disorientated by the final scenes, and thinking I would have preferred a more straightforward resolution of the drama.

Notwithstanding this reservation this is an excellent film, with an extraordinary performance by Cate Blanchett at its heart.

RATING: ✓✓ Catch It If You Can