EFHS Film Club Oscar Movie Reviews

EFHS Film Club
March 8, 2023

 TAR (2022)

“Don’t be so eager to be offended. The narcissism of small differences could lead to the most boring conformity.”

Tár, directed by Todd Field, displays the chilling downfall of American music composer, Lydia Tár. Cate Blanchett has a striking presence in this film and does an amazing job portraying a once successful life eventually falling apart. As a group, we all enjoyed the musical score and felt like it was perfectly crafted for this movie; throughout all its emotional turmoil, the musical score is perfect. We all really loved the dark elements that were added to this film, but we also wish we weren’t left with loose ends and that the eeriness played out into the end connected to something bigger. It goes without saying that Todd Field did a phenomenal job directing Tár. A moment we all loved was the first scene we ever see of Lydia actually conducting; “jump-scared” is the perfect word to describe how we were feeling. We also thought that Lydia Tár’s lecture scene on separating the art from the artist was truly riveting. By the end of this film, all we could say was “wow”. This film definitely has its slow moments, but it’s all made up when we see her fate.

-Hoda Rababeh, 12th grade

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
“It was all going fine until he chopped off all his fingers.”

The Banshees of Inisherin is a sad, yet perfectly comedic film written and directed by Martin McDonagh. The film itself is beautiful with meaningful characters that have strong chemistry. There’s nothing quite as good as the emotion that Colin Farrell brings to Pádraic, with quotes like “You used to be nice! Or did you never used to be? Oh God, maybe you never used to be!” and “Why would I hurt you? You’re the only nice thing about him.” When I started the film, I wasn’t really interested. I didn’t know what exactly I was sitting down to watch, but after no more than 10 minutes, I was already empathizing with some of the characters. Each line and emotion feels so real even with a quick laugh stashed here and there. There’s something to be said about the way this film touches on the feelings and conflict between close friends, especially since such close male friendships aren’t usually the focal point of stories.Inisherin has town gossip, grief, the odd but lovable neighbor, and these two guys who can’t leave each other alone. What’s not to love?

– Kaitlin Bell, 12th Grade
Women Talking (2022)
Women Talking is a film about an isolated religious colony in 2009, where men would drug the women and sexually assault them. For years this had happened to women of ages ranging from 6 years old to their late 60s. The men of the colony did not help the women and gaslight them into believing that these events were just hallucinations. When the attacker
s are caught, the men of the colony collect bail money to get them out, giving the women only two days to decide whether to stay or to leave the colony. Loosely based on a true story, Women Talking is nominated for two Academy Awards including Best Picture. The film itself, although lacking in cinematography, pulls the audience in with its dialogue. The story unfolds as each character provides a different perspective of the situation and allows the whole audience (not just the women there) to fully understand the gravity of the situation. The mix of emotions and perspectives perfectly sums up a woman’s opinions and experiences in the world.

– Gioia Lerini, 11th Grade