Sixteen years after being lost in the development woods of Hollywood, filmmaker Todd Field finally returned this year with his masterwork “TÁR,” a film that we named the Best Film Of 2022 in our staff best-of list. Set in the international world of Western classical music, the film centers on Lydia Tár (played by Cate Blanchett), widely considered one of the greatest living composer-conductors and the first-ever female music director of a major German orchestra.

Continue reading ‘TÁR’ Exclusive Featurette: Nina Hoss Talks The Power Dynamics & Complicity Of Playing Lydia Tár’s Partner at The Playlist.

Who is Lydia Tár? Is she the acclaimed composer-conductor celebrated by The New Yorker in the opening of the movie that shares her fictional namesake as generational? Is she the heavily pruned and curated brand that she herself cultivates, her swishy suit pants as well-measured as her staccato? Or, indeed, is there an all-the-more sinister side: a narcissistic megalomaniac as beholden to her plaudits as she is driven by them? 

READ MORE: Venice Film Festival Preview: 16 Must-See Films To Watch

The truth, as is so often the case, is nestled in the center of the Venn Diagram, astutely observes director Todd Field in his first film for sixteen years, “Tár.” Though not without its blemishes, here’s a timely — and, indeed, timeless — piece about the corrupting essence of power, exploitation, and the burdensome nature of the crown, elevated by a hydrogen bomb of a performance from Cate Blanchett, inarguably at her best since 2015’s “Carol.”

The aforementioned questions emerge, of course, across the two hours and change of runtime; as far as we’re concerned, the Lydia Tár we’re initially introduced to is a flawless demigod.

Continue reading ‘TÁR’ Review: Cate Blanchett Is At Her Best Since ‘Carol’ In This Music World Psychodrama [Venice] at The Playlist.

Each year, countless films premiere at festivals across the world. Filmmakers are celebrated for their artistic vision. Projects are praised for their ability to push the boundaries of what we expect from national cinemas. Then, just as quickly as these films burst on the scene, many disappear from the public eye. Some fall through the cracks of distribution. Others are snapped up by discriminating studios but languish in the vault as executives work to puzzle out the perfect date and platform for their release.

Continue reading The 25 Best Movies Of 2020 We’ve Already Seen at The Playlist.

In his book “Outliers,” Malcolm Gladwell asserted that 10,000 hours of focused practice is the key to achieving top-flight expertise in any field. It’s a convenient and easy-to-package theory, but the “10,000 Rule” hardly accounts for the standards demanded by the characters in Ina Weisse’s sophomore feature effort, “The Audition.” The austere and chilly picture presents an equally austere and chilly chamber orchestra ensemble who don’t necessarily act like real humans; instead, they are embodiments of varying levels of emotional cruelty that eventually manifest into a shocking conclusion.

Continue reading ‘The Audition’: Musical Rivalries Should Never Be This Dreary, Exhausting, & Predictable [TIFF Review] at The Playlist.

Following a general pattern of decline since its ‘20s golden age, over the past two decades, Germany has seen a moderate revival of its limited—and drastically underfunded—film industry. Even so, despite a greater output of movies and higher box office returns, few recent German productions achieved mainstream success. Wolfgang Becker’s ingenious tragicomedy “Good Bye, Lenin!” and Tom Tykwer’s disturbing psychological thriller “Perfume: The Story of a Murderer” are two internationally-acclaimed exceptions that prove the rule.

Continue reading ‘Pelican Blood’: Katrin Gebbe’s Astonishing Psycho-Drama Opens The Door To A Pint-Sized Psycho [TIFF Review] at The Playlist.

25 Performances That Shouldn't Be Forgotten During Awards Season

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Review: Christian Petzold's 'Phoenix' Will Take Your Breath Away

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Guilt And Rubble: 15 Essential Post-War Films

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Watch: Rise From The Ashes Of WWII With New U.S. Trailer For Christian Petzold’s ‘Phoenix’

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TIFF Review: Christian Petzold's Eloquent German Post-War Drama 'Phoenix' Starring Nina Hoss

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TIFF Trailer: Christian Petzold's 'Phoenix' Starring Nina Hoss

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Hal Hartley To Close Off 'Henry Fool' Trilogy With 'Ned Rifle,' Louis Leterrier Reteaming With Luc Besson For 'Sea At War'

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The Breakout Performances Of 2012

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In both films Hoss finds herself mired in dangerous power-struggles with men, spurred by cultural divides. In “Jerichow,” a present day re-imagining of “The Postman Always Rings Twice,” Hoss plays a native German controlled by the wealthy Turkish immigrant husband who rescued her from debt, and whose side she cannot leave.

Continue reading Review: ‘A Woman in Berlin’ at The Playlist.