The Oscars Racket and Tar

I like that the trailer doesn’t give too much away, but I’m unclear if this is about her losing her hearing, a ghost story, a descent into madness, or the revelation of some professional scandal.

They're giving it a slow rollout. As a Snobby Elite I can say that "Tár" and "Lynch/OZ" are the only two movies coming out that would tempt me back to the theater.

r1 — don't read any of the reviews. I did and they're rife with spoilers.

How do you pronounce “Ta’r”?

Richard Brody, the New Yorker film critic, called it "Ishtár." His negative review was published online today.

From that trailer, I don't know WTF the film is about.

NYT seems to like it.

Was she putting the moves on the ladies?

OP - last I heard, a movie has to be released to theaters to be considered for Oscars. It's not racket at all. It's just the procedure. The producers want oscars. They'll release it to streamers in due time.

Richard Brody hates everything.

^ lol

how else do you show how superior your taste is?

I can't imagine it will garner a large audience though Blanchett may garner an Oscar. Rex Reed weighs in.

It's the sequel to "Schenectady, New York".

I'd go see it if they release it in the UK

The Brody review makes it sound interesting for once since I first heard of this film.

Babe it’s in NY and LA now, 30 theaters in 10 cities on Friday, 100 or so the Friday after that, and wide 10/28. This is called a platform release, and it’s been the preferred way to release critically acclaimed films since forever.

And it wouldn’t “be better as a streaming release” because it’s cinema, you philistine.

It will be going down the shitter like House of Gucci, trying to be only in theaters, and ending up with no awards. While CODA and TAMMY FAYE, who were in theaters just a bit and then went on streaming fast, got all the accolades. It's the new era of movie watching, nan.

I like Cate Blanchett and TÁR is the only movie this year that I hope to see in a theatre. The only other movie that I have seen in a theatre recently is Nightmare Alley. I saw Nightmare Alley mostly for Cate Blanchett and to me she was the only good part of the movie. I am totally into spoilers and plot details and have gathered a lot along the way by reading reviews and watching trailers etc. for TÁR. The movie seems intriguing enough for me based on this plus it's a big visual film with beautiful locations and sets plus the sound design is significant as well. There is an element dealing with sound that affects the main character Lydia Tar (she is not going deaf) that possibly can only be conveyed through the audio systems in a movie theatre (or if you have really a really great sound system at home). I don't have any streaming service so for me it's the theatre and DVD, I will probably buy the Blu Ray after seeing the movie when it becomes available. R11 I stopped reading The Observer when Jared Kushner took it over.

[quote]Seems it would do better as a streaming choice.

If I watched it at home I would have not been able to sit through it. In the theater I had to focus. It's Oscar and Critics bait IMO. Blanchett is superb, I give the film that.

[Quote] I stopped reading The Observer when Jared Kushner took it over.

What has that to do with IshTAR? Rex Reed wrote the 2⭐⭐review I posted at R11 not Kushner. Reed's reviews are online most Fridays.

Wall Street Journal

Kyle Smith Oct 7, 2022

Like its subject, the film is severe, dry and painfully serious, but in the closing seconds Mr. Field does, at last, deliver some relief with a visual joke that deals in a kind of cosmic comeuppance. It’s by far the best part of the movie, but it arrives too late to make much of a difference. Up to that point, “Tár” is like listening to a slow, ominous roll on the timpani for two and a half hours.

Rex Reed is not someone I listen to. And at r4' link that author is a wokester who is offended by humanity.

That ridiculous pose she’s doing in all the advertising is annoying and clichéd as fuck.

Blanchett is a good actress but she's a ham the same way Anthony Hopkins can be.

[Quote] Rex Reed is not someone I listen to.

Reed has been writing film, television and theater reviews for various publications since the mid 60s, so someone is listening to him.

Saw it yesterday and it’s fantastic. At its heart, it’s a dark comedy. She’s a ridiculous human being and Cate knows this and runs with it. I liked it because it’s up to you to decide whether she’s a good or bad person. It’s about cancel culture and some people will think she needs cancelled some won’t. I didn’t. The ending is laugh out loud funny.

R25 I completely agree! I loved it and found it to be perfectly suited towards Blanchett’s dramatic strengths and tendencies towards camp sensibility. Beautifully shot as well.

Also I think it’s both too nuanced and too weird for the Academy. I doubt it gets nominated for anything other than Best Actress and perhaps Best Director.

Agreed, R27! I have to say, I didn’t get many of her references, especially during the Adam Gopnick interview, but still found it funny because of her delivery. She was so self-assured and pompous, I realized where the film was going after that wonderfully long opening scene.

Those bad reviews. Ouch. No Oscar for Cate Blandett.

Oh, R29, you contrary little missy! You know the film has 94% on RT but you just wanna be a mean ole Nellie Oleson! Go clean your bloomers!

I saw it today. It's what to watch if you want to see a self-satirizing Cate Blanchett performance: it's got all the arm-flailing you could ever want. Unlike Blanchett, the actresses who play the various women in Tar's life (her wife, her assistant/former girlfriend, her current crush) deliver very good performances. In theory, there's something going on about sexual harassment and cancel culture, yet that's not really a focus or plot-driver. We can figure out quickly that Tar is vain and obnoxious and abuses her position, and there's a lot of talk about music and that's kind of it. Appropriately enough for a film that features Mahler, there are some haunting images of decay and death, but that doesn't justify the long run time.

R4 I'd take his review with a grain of salt. He seems angry at the theme and message of the film, rather than the content. Shades of The Joker, where a lot of reviewers found the perceived message distasteful or immoral so gave it a bad review.

Anyone here seen it yet?

Just saw it. Too long, prententious and very convinced it's brilliant.

I'm waiting for the Surround Sound screenings.

Ask Cate Blanchett who the greatest actress currently working and she'll tell you Cate Blanchett.

New title for this movie: Lydia is an Asshole.

Lydia Tar is a ‘tard!

*clutches pearls*

[quote]Blanchett is superb

When is she not?

R2 I love when people call themselves "snobs" or snobby about something. I could think your taste is lowbrow.