Films you've seen lately

[johncorrigan]

Yes, brilliant film, one of the year's best I think.

Agreed.

[Belgrove]

Todd Field’s first film as a director, In the Bedroom, was unusual in that it started in one place, a harrowing account of a family hit by tragedy, and finished somewhere else entirely, and his latest, Tár, follows a similar trajectory. We watch a classical conductor/teacher/author/media-celebrity of international renown disintegrate as a series of accusations escalate regarding her behaviour for manipulating and exploiting those over whom she has power or influence. Or do we? Do these things actually happen?

This is a very sophisticated piece of film making which certainly deserves careful watching, and listening, for there are images and sounds whose first appearance resurface in a different guise, or remain gnomic, but do signal and presage changes in Tár’s character. The viewer has to pick out the bones from these. Field uses long static shots that don’t pall because of their visual richness (the production values are gorgeous and tasteful), and the quality of the script and the way the actors hold a scene. We become observers in these scenes, not being manipulated into siding with a character or their perspective. Cate Blanchett as the eponymous lead, is mesmerising to watch and to listen to, even if at times she can be insensitive and cruel. This film has attracted controversy, but there is enough ambiguity, visual, aural and emotional, for it it carry many interpretations according to one’s own stance on the issues it covers. Indeed these may change on a further viewing. Blanchett is superb in a role that is glamorous, intelligent, but deeply ambiguous and flawed; ultimately fascinating to watch - its a wonderful display of acting ability, and it has an intelligent script that touches upon many facets of current issues and mores. But all the cast do nothing other than enhance the film. It’s a long watch, but a gripping and compelling one.

[jayne lee wilson]

The Banshees of Inisherrin. Perhaps it was an odd choice for New Years Eve but I found it compelling. Fantastic performances. It raises many questions about the nature of friendship, the value of being remembered for eternity for achievements versus just being nice to other people, and what Karl Marx referred to as the idiocy of rural life

Unexpectedly compelling yes, very original. The cut and thrust of the narrative, the repetition and variation in its editing, dynamic and pacing, were remarkable scene-to-scene. Intensity levels beautifully measured too. I loved the open-hearted affection shown to animals, including farm animals; how important their friendships become to many of us.

The dialogue is extraordinarily sharp, realistic and insightful; if at times hard to follow. Wonderful acting, perhaps most of all by Barry Keoghan as Dominic Kearney, as a sort of Holy Fool, a soothsayer in a Tale of Biblical resonance.

It won several Golden Globes, including Best Film - but in the "Musical or Comedy" category(?!).

*****
The latest from Pedro Almodóvar and Penelope Cruz, Parallel Mothers, is another one of my Best of the Year; one of Almodóvar's best too, in a strong catalogue.
Hard to summarise without spoilers, with parallel plot lines around motherhood and belonging, identity, female friendship, and the Spanish Civil War. Balancing all these elements with a light and clear, swiftly paced narrative touch. The two female leads (Cruz and Milena Smit), who become friends while in hospital for their births, are real screen magnets.

Very Highly recommended!

[richardfinegold]

Todd Field’s first film as a director, In the Bedroom, was unusual in that it started in one place, a harrowing account of a family hit by tragedy, and finished somewhere else entirely, and his latest, Tár, follows a similar trajectory. We watch a classical conductor/teacher/author/media-celebrity of international renown disintegrate as a series of accusations escalate regarding her behaviour for manipulating and exploiting those over whom she has power or influence. Or do we? Do these things actually happen?

This is a very sophisticated piece of film making which certainly deserves careful watching, and listening, for there are images and sounds whose first appearance resurface in a different guise, or remain gnomic, but do signal and presage changes in Tár’s character. The viewer has to pick out the bones from these. Field uses long static shots that don’t pall because of their visual richness (the production values are gorgeous and tasteful), and the quality of the script and the way the actors hold a scene. We become observers in these scenes, not being manipulated into siding with a character or their perspective. Cate Blanchett as the eponymous lead, is mesmerising to watch and to listen to, even if at times she can be insensitive and cruel. This film has attracted controversy, but there is enough ambiguity, visual, aural and emotional, for it it carry many interpretations according to one’s own stance on the issues it covers. Indeed these may change on a further viewing. Blanchett is superb in a role that is glamorous, intelligent, but deeply ambiguous and flawed; ultimately fascinating to watch - its a wonderful display of acting ability, and it has an intelligent script that touches upon many facets of current issues and mores. But all the cast do nothing other than enhance the film. It’s a long watch, but a gripping and compelling one.

Indeed—perhaps you’ve seen some of the previous posts about it.

[richardfinegold]

Unexpectedly compelling yes, very original. The cut and thrust of the narrative, the repetition and variation in its editing, dynamic and pacing, were remarkable scene-to-scene. Intensity levels beautifully measured too. I loved the open-hearted affection shown to animals, including farm animals; how important their friendships become to many of us.

The dialogue is extraordinarily sharp, realistic and insightful; if at times hard to follow. Wonderful acting, perhaps most of all by Barry Keoghan as Dominic Kearney, as a sort of Holy Fool, a soothsayer in a Tale of Biblical resonance.

It won several Golden Globes, including Best Film - but in the "Musical or Comedy" category(?!).

*****
The latest from Pedro Almodóvar and Penelope Cruz, Parallel Mothers, is another one of my Best of the Year; one of Almodóvar's best too, in a strong catalogue.
Hard to summarise without spoilers, with parallel plot lines around motherhood and belonging, identity, female friendship, and the Spanish Civil War. Balancing all these elements with a light and clear, swiftly paced narrative touch. The two female leads (Cruz and Milena Smit), who become friends while in hospital for their births, are real screen magnets.

Very Highly recommended!

That is an interesting take on the Dominic character. Would you consider the main female character, Siobhan, as a type of Cassandra?

[jayne lee wilson]

That is an interesting take on the Dominic character. Would you consider the main female character, Siobhan, as a type of Cassandra?

That's a good reading, the kind of resonance I was thinking of. But - she got away, and I was glad. (Better than being murdered, like Cassandra, over a corpse...).
The Tragic Musician or Artist has inescapable mythical associations too....Banshees is a wonderful piece of work, a poem on screen.

Do try to see Parallel Mothers, another masterpiece rich in character and multilevel meanings....

[richardfinegold]

That's a good reading, the kind of resonance I was thinking of. But - she got away, and I was glad. (Better than being murdered, like Cassandra, over a corpse...).
The Tragic Musician or Artist has inescapable mythical associations too....Banshees is a wonderful piece of work, a poem on screen.

Do try to see Parallel Mothers, another masterpiece rich in character and multilevel meanings....

Right, in this case Cassandra escapes and the Holy Fool doesn’t…

[kernelbogey]

Saw Tár, the new Todd Field film with Cate Blanchett as the title character, Lydia Tár, the extremely fictional superstar conductor of a not-quite-exactly named (IMHO, AFAICT) orchestra in Berlin. Kind of surprised at the lack of discussion here, given its immersion in the world of classical music, unless it hasn't attained general release yet in the UK. I chatted with some orchestra friends after a screening, and they said that the film does a pretty good job of capturing some of the insider dynamics of the orchestra world, while obviously exaggerating some aspects for dramatic effect....

This looks like the first of several, rather scattered, posts about this film, Tár, which has gained a lot of critical attention - but I believe is not long released in UK. I haven't been able to see it yet, but want to.
This interesting piece in today's Guardian by Xan Brooks looks at the relatively poor commercial success so far in the UK, and reactions to the central character, a 'predatory' woman conductor.

[richardfinegold]

This looks like the first of several, rather scattered, posts about this film, Tár, which has gained a lot of critical attention - but I believe is not long released in UK. I haven't been able to see it yet, but want to.
This interesting piece in today's Guardian by Xan Brooks looks at the relatively poor commercial success so far in the UK, and reactions to the central character, a 'predatory' woman conductor.

Thanks for sharing that review which I thought was quite perceptive. The reviews that I have seen here, such as the New Yorker, have come from a stereotypical woke frame of reference. I have to say that I am disappointed in Marin Alsop. It is sad that we cannot live in an Artistic Environment where individuals cannot be depicted with flaws if they happen to belong to any Group that isn’t Straight White Christian Males. This review acknowledges that we are all complex mixtures of desirable and undesirable traits

[Bryn]

This looks like the first of several, rather scattered, posts about this film, Tár, which has gained a lot of critical attention - but I believe is not long released in UK. I haven't been able to see it yet, but want to.
This interesting piece in today's Guardian by Xan Brooks looks at the relatively poor commercial success so far in the UK, and reactions to the central character, a 'predatory' woman conductor.

An interesting consideration, here: https://theconversation.com/tar-an-e...box=1673538618

[Sir Velo]

Thanks for sharing that review which I thought was quite perceptive. The reviews that I have seen here, such as the New Yorker, have come from a stereotypical woke frame of reference. I have to say that I am disappointed in Marin Alsop. It is sad that we cannot live in an Artistic Environment where individuals cannot be depicted with flaws if they happen to belong to any Group that isn’t Straight White Christian Males. This review acknowledges that we are all complex mixtures of desirable and undesirable traits

Frankly, I resist the implicit argument in the linked article that we should all spend our hard earned bucks/quids on this movie anyway. I have absolutely no interest in watching a fake biopic, however "real" the characters are. Give me the music any day!

[Ein Heldenleben]

This looks like the first of several, rather scattered, posts about this film, Tár, which has gained a lot of critical attention - but I believe is not long released in UK. I haven't been able to see it yet, but want to.
This interesting piece in today's Guardian by Xan Brooks looks at the relatively poor commercial success so far in the UK, and reactions to the central character, a 'predatory' woman conductor.

Yep . I’m seeing it this afternoon and I’ve pretty much got the cinema to myself. And only two bookings for the evening perf. Perhaps there’ll be a last minute rush . One factor could be that it’s 2 hours 37 - say 2 hours 50 with ads / trailers . Too long for the over sixties without a break and difficult to schedule a meal around unless you go the 8.45 showing which ends near midnight .

[RichardB]

The reviews that I have seen here, such as the New Yorker, have come from a stereotypical woke frame of reference.

Coming from a woke frame of reference myself, I can see why Marin Alsop and others have criticised the film - there are so few films that attempt to engage with the world of intrigue and toxicity that often swirls around the classical music world, compared with all the films there are about writers, painters and so on, that when one does come along people might naturally expect it to focus on those male conductors and musicians, and god knows there have been far too many of them, who use their position to abuse their young colleagues; whereas I haven't come across any real life story that parallels the sort of thing that goes on in this film. If I were in Marin Alsop's position I might well feel the same way as she does. I tried to put these considerations to the back of my mind when watching the film, but I still really didn't like it. I respect Cate Blanchett less as an actor than I did before, I don't find her at all convincing as a conductor whether on or off the stage, and I also somewhat resent the way the director is using classical music as an exotic backdrop to tell - at considerable length - what is ultimately not that original a story.

Jayne mentioned Parallel Housewives, now that really held my attention throughout.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Coming from a woke frame of reference myself, I can see why Marin Alsop and others have criticised the film - there are so few films that attempt to engage with the world of intrigue and toxicity that often swirls around the classical music world, compared with all the films there are about writers, painters and so on, that when one does come along people might naturally expect it to focus on those male conductors and musicians, and god knows there have been far too many of them, who use their position to abuse their young colleagues; whereas I haven't come across any real life story that parallels the sort of thing that goes on in this film. If I were in Marin Alsop's position I might well feel the same way as she does. I tried to put these considerations to the back of my mind when watching the film, but I still really didn't like it. I respect Cate Blanchett less as an actor than I did before, I don't find her at all convincing as a conductor whether on or off the stage, and I also somewhat resent the way the director is using classical music as an exotic backdrop to tell - at considerable length - what is ultimately not that original a story.

Jayne mentioned Parallel Housewives, now that really held my attention throughout.

Good thing I got free tickets then as part of my bank account.

PS I see a well known tenor is back in the news - now there’s a film.

[Belgrove]

Drawing attention to the relation of Tár to the ‘real’ music world is to miss its point entirely. The music world is used a framework in which to place a singular, high achieving character whose many faults are then revealed. One should not expect A Beautiful Mind to be faithful to John Nash’s fundamental contributions to Game Theory, or for The Theory of Everything to essay the profound implications of Stephen Hawking postulating radiation from Black Holes. They are movies! These films are about singular individuals, even among their own rarified peer group, achieving extraordinary things despite mental and physical impairment, but they have to entertain too. Tár is not a documentary, just like The Soprano’s is not a series about waste disposal in New Jersey. The woke issues Tár addresses are provocative, not least because they are shown rather than told. It’s up to the individual to bring their own baggage to these issues and make their own mind up about what they have seen. Different people will view it in entirely different ways. I find that rather unusual for a film nowadays, and refreshingly grown up.

I was looking forward to Empire of Light enormously. It touches upon some of the themes in Tár. But it was a disappointment. No right minded person, whether woke or not, could fail identify and sympathise with the ‘goodies’ and abhor the behaviour of the ‘baddies’ - but they may as well be wearing white or black hats. It told us what to think. There was no subtlety, no ambiguity, no mystery; qualities that Tár has in spades.

And I have seen Parallel Mothers - it’s fine, but I didn’t feel compelled to write about it here, or indeed recommend it to anyone.