Cate Blanchett has been nominated for ‘Best Actress’ at the 2023 Academy Awards for her stunning performance as fictional conductor Lydia Tár in director Todd Field’s acclaimed film TÁR. The film opens in Australia on Thursday.

In what has been described as a “career best” performance Blanchett plays Lydia Tàr, a world-famous conductor and composer. Her high-profile life sees her dealing with artistic pressures, fans, proteges, colleagues and a collection of growing pressures.

Set primarily in Berlin, Tàr lives with her same-sex partner and their adopted daughter, and her career is at an all-time high as she prepares to record Gustav Mahler’s fifth symphony with the orchestra she’s lead for a decade.

But the maestro’s world starts to come apart when accusation from her past resurface, and she fears heading into a #metoo style scandal.

Blanchett won the Best Actress trophy for her 2013 film Blue Jasmine, and was also nominated for her roles in Elizabeth, Elizabeth: The Golden Age and Carol.

Also nominated in the Best Actress in a Leading Role category this year is Ana De Armas for Blonde, Andrea Riseborough for To Leslie, Michelle Williams for The Fablemans and Michelle Yeoh for Everything Everywhere All at Once.  

The film has also picked up nominations for Best Film, Best Director and Best Writing (Original Screenplay) for Todd Field, Best Cinematography for Florian Hoffmeister and Best Film Editing for Monika Willi.

Australian director Baz Luhrmann has missed out on being nominated for Best Director, but his Elvis biopic is in the running for Best Film and leading man Austin Buttler in nominated as the Best Actor in a Leading Role.

Also in the running for the Best Actor trophy is Colin Farrell for The Banshees of Inisherin, Paul Mescal for After Sun and Bill Nighy for Living. One of the favourites to take out the award is Brendan Fraser for his performance as a morbidly obese bisexual man in The Whale. 

See all the major award nominees at The Academy Awards website. 

OIP Staff

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