ADDITION: Universal 4K UHD (March 2023): Universal have released Todd Field's "Tár" in 4K UHD. The 2160P image is pristine in every sense. The visuals are dark (paranoia themes are ride) - but often, not as dark as the included Blu-ray (see comparison below.) It looked fabulous on my system, with even long-range shots containing impressive detail. Florian Hoffmeister's cinematography is sublime carrying the film's subtle themes and undercurrent of emotions with deft realizations. A gorgeous film looking brilliant in 4K UHD. The captures may look very dark but it didn't seems that way on my system. It was totally mesmerizing.

It is likely that the monitor you are seeing this review is not an HDR-compatible display (High Dynamic Range) or Dolby Vision, where each pixel can be assigned with a wider and notably granular range of color and light. Our capture software if simulating the HDR (in a uniform manner) for standard monitors. This should make it easier for us to review more 4K UHD titles in the future and give you a decent idea of its attributes on your system. So our captures may not support the exact same colors (coolness of skin tones, brighter or darker hues etc.) as the 4K system at your home. But the framing, detail, grain texture support etc. are, generally, not effected by this simulation representation.

NOTE: 70 more more full resolution (3840 X 2160) 4K UHD captures, in lossless PNG format, for Patrons are available HERE

We have reviewed the following 4K UHD packages to date: Marathon Man (software uniformly simulated HDR), Dazed and Confused (software uniformly simulated HDR), Three Colors: Blue (software uniformly simulated HDR), Invaders From Mars (software uniformly simulated HDR), Death Wish (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (no HDR), High Plains Drifter (software uniformly simulated HDR), Mystery Men (software uniformly simulated HDR), Silent Running (software uniformly simulated HDR), Dressed to Kill (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Power of the Dog  (software uniformly simulated HDR), Escape From Alcatraz (software uniformly simulated HDR), I, the Jury (no HDR), Casablanca (software uniformly simulated HDR), In the Mood For Love (NO HDR applied to disc), The Werewolf vs. the Vampire Woman  (software uniformly simulated HDR), Blow Out (software uniformly simulated HDR), Night of the Living Dead (NO HDR applied to disc), Lost Highway (software uniformly simulated HDR), Videodrome (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Last Picture Show (software uniformly simulated HDR), It Happened One Night (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Mummy (1932)(software uniformly simulated HDR), Creature From the Black Lagoon (software uniformly simulated HDR), Bride of Frankenstein (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Amityville Horror  (software uniformly simulated HDR), The War of the Worlds (1953) (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Incredible Melting Man  (software uniformly simulated HDR), Event Horizon (software uniformly simulated HDR), Get Carter (software uniformly simulated HDR), The Killing (software uniformly simulated HDR), Killer's Kiss (software uniformly simulated HDR) 

If you are fortunate enough to have a setup that allows for Dolby Atmos or Dolby TrueHD 7.1, Sony's 4K UHD track has outdoor ambiance, cars, waterfall and orchestral-preparation. The robustness of the audio handles the effects with ease exporting keen separations. The music is credited to Hildur Guðnadóttir (Chernobyl.) Augmenting the background score are moving classical works - some of it played on the piano by Blanchett including works like Bach's Das Wohltemperierte Klavier: Präludium and Fuge C-Dur, BWV 846 plus Gustav Mahler (daunting Symphony No. 5), Edward Elgar, Richard Wagner, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Cole Porter and some modern pieces. There are two optional foreign language DUBs (French and Spanish) and subtitle options including English (SDH), Spanish and French (with foreign languages having very small font - burned in English subtitles) and as with all 4K UHD discs, this Universal package is Region 'Free' (Blu-ray too!) playable worldwide. 

Todd Field's "Tár" was selected 'Best Film of the Year' by many organizations including the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, New York Film Critics Circle,  London Film Critics' Circle, and the National Society of Film Critics - making it only the fourth film in history named as such from the world's top critics' groups. The other three being “L.A. Confidential,” “Schindler’s List” and “The Social Network.” How this film is not a bigger part of the conversation (six snubbed Academy Award nominations including Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for Cate Blanchett, Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Achievement in Directing, Best Original Screenplay, Best Achievement in Cinematography and Best Achievement in Film Editing) may have something to do with its more than 2.5 hour length and "Tár"s take on 'cancel culture'. Field has written, directed and produced only three features in over 20-years - including one of my favorite films, In the Bedroom, as well as Little Children that I saw at TIFF (neither have even made in to Blu-ray and the existing DVDs also had no extras.) His three films have been nominated for a combined fourteen Academy Awards. I like A. O. Scott's review of "Tár" at The New York Times: "I'm not sure I've ever seen a movie quite like Tár. Field balances Apollonian restraint with Dionysian frenzy. Tár is meticulously controlled and also scarily wild. Field finds a new way of posing the perennial question about separating the artist from the art, a question that he suggests can only be answered by another question: are you crazy? We don't care about Tár because she's an artist. We care about her because she's art." Universal's 4K UHD release is 49% OFF at Amazon at the writing if this review. For new adopter cinephiles it is easily considered 'must own' territory.

Gary Tooze