Margaret

Evans

questions. Or, I did, rather. My husband has an enviable knack for just accepting – and appreciating – a movie in its totality, without deconstructing it or obsessing over its “meaning.” Me? I couldn’t stop thinking about this odd, lyrical, gruesome, funny, heartbreaking poem of a film. In fact, I’m still thinking about it. Trying to solve it, as if it were a riddle. But here’s something strange: As moved as I was by Banshees , I can hardly think of a soul in my life to whom I’d recommend it.

I feel almost the same way about Tár, the Oscar-nominated film we streamed on Amazon Prime just last weekend. I found it absolutely riveting – maybe my favorite movie of the year – but it doesn’t strike me as a crowd pleaser. If you’re one of those (normal) people who just wants to be entertained – or swept away, or even inspired – by a movie, go with a third viewing of Top Gun: Maverick The Guardian says of Tár, “Field (the director) brings a slippery complexity to the proceedings. Is Tár the slow-motion car crash of a cancellation? The crash and burn of hubristic ambition? A supernatural thriller? A Shakespearean tragedy about a powerful individual driven to the brink of madness by the niggling attrition of guilt?” To which I would answer, “All of the above. Or not?” Those questions aside, Cate Blanchett’s performance as the magnificent maestro Lydia Tár is the reason to see this film. Blanchett is the finest actress of my generation, and I would pay to watch her sit on a park bench for 2.5 hours, but she is at the height of her powers here, and it’s something to behold.

So, that’s it for now. I’ve got four more films to knock out before the Academy Awards on March 12th. But first, we’re off to the 17th Annual Beaufort International Film Festival , starting next week. Don’t miss our special coverage, beginning on page 12. See you at the movies!