Abstract and pompous like the titular character, Tár throws you in at the deep-end and seldom gives you time to start kicking your legs and get your head above water before unpacking these characters and the world they inhabit. We the audience are thrown into the suffocating world of Western classical music, the cut-throat nature of which is apparent right from the jump. Tár has multiple things to say and it says them all with ambiguity and a passing comment, nothing direct or forced; this off-hand delivery will completely glance off many and makes the subtleties of this plot impenetrable for most. There's discussion of cancel culture, religion, spirituality, ego, heirarchy and positions of power, prestige, wealth, sexuality, art and the nature of mastering your craft; so many messages just thrown to the wall for the audience to pick up and form their own understanding of. There's also so many vague scenes that are left to the viewers interpretation to draw meaningful conclusions from, many that define Tar as a character and how you feel about her. There's also some very good horror elements dotted throughout that I feel might go unnoticed as they are very "blink and you'll miss it" in nature.

2022 really is the year of the character studies, with Tár and The Whale leading the charge. I think I preferred the latter much more than the former, but I can see the merits of this movie and the craft that has gone into its creation. Blanchett completely embodies this character, and her performance is as good as you've heard. If you enjoy dissecting film, watching them over and over to discern details that you missed the first time round, then Tár will be your favourite movie of the year, maybe even the decade. There's so much to pour and ponder over here I feel compelled to try and carve out another viewing of this behemoth. I feel going into the dense opening act of the movie armed with the knowledge of how it all plays out might shine some light on what originally was an impenetrable wall of music lingo and cold open character plots.

A masterpiece? Possibly to some, but you're going to have to work hard to get the most from this dense, layered mammoth. Prepare yourself for at least two viewings, you're gonna need it.