Reviews

"Tar" was a very good film. The performances were a bit rocky at the start, however, things picked up and I was hooked.

ACTING: At the onset, the acting was a tad bit shaky, but improved through the course of the film. The lead "Curtis" and others were quite good.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: The film stock used gave this film a 1970's look to it and was very effective. New York looked as gritty and real as ever - and I loved it. There were some interesting shots here.

SOUND/AUDIO: Some great music used within; it matched the theme of the film perfectly...kind of 'gritty, underground rap' that matched well with the movie.

STORYLINE: The storyline had a few issues. The character portraying the leader of the Black movement did not have his character fleshed out properly. He was briefly introduced in the beginning (the tarring), then midway, then resurfaced at the closing in a sequence I didn't understand. Why did he point a gun at the lead character simply because he did not want to follow through? Also, the mole character should have been fleshed out more also. Was he an actual cop or simply a paid informant off the street? What were his motivations?

Overall: The love story between the fired cop and the lead was effective and kept the story going. I liked this film. The cast was effective and the overall aesthetic the film had looked great. Very good for a low budget film.

This was a good film - well acted, good cinematography, overall decent production values. Loretta Devine (sp?) as usual did an excellent job with the material..her voice and presence are so distinct she stands out in any film that she does. The direction was also solid and I enjoyed it. The storyline with the bisexual father was also something different so points to the director for originality. However, I thought the sister of Loretta's character (she's also a well known actress) was a bit over the top...and I'm sure the director wanted that but he should have massaged her performance a bit.

A good film indeed. This film was a good effort.

This film starts out very, very vanilla...the drunken father..the twin sons working at the quarry...nothing grabs you at all. It felt very 'routine' and I nearly took the DVD out and set out to return it midway through the film.

The movie also struggles to find its identity: Is it a film about baseball, alcoholism, or a love story? When one of the twins meets and befriends his teacher girlfriend, that romantic line is quickly forgotten and thrown by the wayside later in the movie. The actress simply disappears.

The father drinks himself into a stupor, yet nothing of his background possibly explaining his alcoholism is expounded upon or explained. He's just drunk all the time. He's therefore a very unlikable and almost unnecessary character - we just see a drunk meandering in and out of his sons lives.

The cinematography/locations are beautiful at times however - but pretty pictures alone does not a good movie make. The story and characters needed to be fleshed out further, particularly the father and the girlfriend. A weak effort indeed.