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In this episode, we have invited Aria Velz, a TikToker who loves and enjoys lesbian and queer media, movies, and other media forms. Today, Manika and Aria talk about the phenomenal 2022 movie Tar, which starred Cate Blanchett as Lydia Tár. But beforehand, they would discuss their most awaited shows and movies this year, like Barbie, The Color Purple, Wicked, and Bridgerton. Stay tuned!


Can’t Wait to Watch: Barbie


[1:35]


Manika is so eager to watch the movie, Barbie. People are so hyped about this movie with its frequent trailer releases and press tours. She didn't know what to expect and what will happen; thus, she was very excited about the outcome of the whole movie.


[5:50]


Like everyone else, when Aria discovered that Greta Gerwig would be the director and Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling were casting it, she couldn’t help but be excited. Aria is also intrigued about how the upcoming Barbie movie will imply some kind of investigation into what the brand means.


Can’t Wait to Watch: The Color Purple


[16:00]


The Color Purple musical is one of Aria’s highly anticipated movies of the year because of how the main characters portrayed their love.


Other Movies


[17:14]


Wicked Movie, Bridgerton, and Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse are some of the other movies on Manika’s list.


Marvel’s Writer Strike


[21:59]


Marvel’s latest movie, Thunderbolts, is delayed because of the writer’s strike. That’s why Manika advises people to watch 30 other Marvel movies on the streaming platforms to be prepared and know all the details connected to Thunderbolts. She also added that people should be mad at the studios, not the writers because they just want to get paid for their work.


The Phenomenal 2022 Movie “Tár”


[29:37]


It's a film about Lydia Tara, a renowned conductor and the first female chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic. She has a personal assistant Francesca, who she relies deeply on, and her wife and concertmaster, Sharon. Manika describes Lydia Tar as a controversial figure and says that feminism is great, but when it comes to gender identity, it becomes different.


[32:58]


Aria sees two major themes from the scenes in the trailer: The first one raised the question about what it means to separate the art from the artist. The second is about what power does to people in the way that power makes you act. 


Various Interpretations


[40:09]


Aria examines the scenes in the trailer from two different perspectives. One is about how it communicates the reality that art deserves its appreciation apart from the artist and how vital it is to elevate oneself as the artist. On the other side, it may be interpreted as Lydia Tar being so full of shit that she's simply saying odd stuff to own these woke teens while saying nothing meaningful.


Lydia Tar as an Anti-Hero


[46:21]


Lydia Tar is fascinating as an anti-hero because of her ability to never see the connection between personal actions and art, to be self-serving, always looking out for herself and her activities. And how she doesn’t know the repercussions of her actions until they hit her.


Tar in a Different Format


[53:57]


If Lydia Tar is not a lesbian and woman but instead a straight man, in Manika’s perspective, it would be a little different. People are more anxious when women are in leadership positions and want to make decisions they don't like or agree with. On the other hand, men in leadership roles are perceived as more natural, and whenever they make a recommendation that goes against the norm, people are willing to approve or try it.


[59:19]


From Aria’s perspective, the movie would be much more contrived if it were a male conductor. She thought that if Tar were about a male conductor doing all these things, the question would be, do we need another movie about abuse of power and how men with power can be terrible?


Aria's Socials


Youtube | TikTok


Podcast's Instagram


Manika's Instagram

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