Dan Gooding

No Tar. Absolute turkey of a film. Ignore the pretentious hyperbolic reviews, Kate Blanchett’s is one of the worst performances I’ve seen in a long time. and in one the most clumsy, inelegantly edited films in recent memory. Delivering her lines, Blanchett’s affections would not be forgiven in an Am Dram panto, don’t even start me on her over obvious, clumsy left ear ticks. Blanchett’s so bad, Mark Strong’s wig out acts her. The first hour is exposition of the clumsiest kind. Jumping from staccato meetings to bewilderingly frustrating set pieces designed to intrigue but instead induce dozes. So deliberate is the direction I wanted to get up and punch the screen. I didn’t. Instead I turned my attention to my other cinema goers. Some were twitchy, other shuffled forward in the seats, willing something to frickin happen. I appreciate the sentiment of putting the credits first. Fine. Point made but know get on with it, starting a movie with an interview that’s as dry as the Nevada desert and a long as the Nile is not brave or artistic, it’s bloody boring. The film looks great. Cinematography is beautiful. If only the director spent more time thinking about narrative and about helping the supporting cast help Cate out of an acting abyss. In hindsight I now know why the credits were first, so that the crew and production team got recognition before the audience walked out.