Tar – 7.5

The setting: how many dramas are set in and around a symphony orchestra?
The dialogue: starts as a New Yorker interview and remains at that lofty level.
The acting: Cate Blanchett is a lock for an Oscar nod, and the great German actress Nina Hoss (Barbara, Phoenix) is just as good in a subtler featured role.
The directing: Todd Field’s stamp is all over the film, predominantly shot in close-up with lots of negative space in a wide-screen format, and I can’t even remember if it’s in color or black-and-white.
The score: in a movie about a conductor, there is zero background music, making the orchestral bits stand out.
The story: Even the most guarded review unfortunately gives away the ending; so the suspense is how it happens, not what. The ending: Whaaa? It’s a close call as to which goes furthest off the rails, Lydia Tar or the movie she’s in. In sum: powerful and gripping, but unresolved and frustrating.