Where to start when you’ve been away from something for so long? I’ve had so many ideas but didn’t act on any of them. I am finally putting pen to paper, fingers to keyboard, words to the internet. We are back at the movies. Well, some of us since our first vaccine. It was a haven for me. Despite living in constant fear and wearing N95s everywhere, I felt safe in the theater. Granted, there weren’t a lot of us at first. But somehow it felt like we were gathered in worship. The collective awe and appreciation for cinema in a shared space was palpable. Real. And it still is. I appreciate it so much. 

So to return, I want to focus on power, or the lack thereof, specifically of women. In doing this I’ll look at three films I saw over the last few months. The first is “Barbarian,” a smart, concise, abrupt, terrifying yet funny indie horror film about an Airbnb visit gone wrong. There will be some spoilers about this movie so if you plan to see it, proceed with caution. The second will focus on the much talked about “Don’t Worry Darling” — Olivia Wilde’s second feature film and the subject of alleged set drama. And finally, the newly released “Tár” — a masterpiece featuring the incomparable Cate Blanchett.

All films touch on themes of power and what happens when you lose it or have too much. In “Barbarian,” an independent traveler finds herself very alone and powerless, at the mercy of an almost inhuman creature (who we later learn more about). She is resourceful and determined to escape her confinement but her efforts are foiled by an arrogant Hollywood pariah (played both hilariously and tragically by Justin Long). The darkness they flee is far worse than they had imagined, and (without giving too much away) permeates the story once we realize the depth of terror. The story touches on the powerlessness women face when telling their stories (not being believed, for example), and how often a man’s hubris can derail the storytelling.

While “Don’t Worry Darling” is in many ways a disappointment (it had so much hype!), it grapples with compelling themes, helmed masterfully by Florence Pugh. Despite any behind the scenes feuds, her performance anchored the disjointed narrative. Joined by a reliable Harry Styles, and some strong supporting roles (namely Chris Pine — the kitchen scene!), Pugh’s character believably inhabits a visually stunning prison. Her questions about the place she finds herself grow more urgent and frantic, as her clarity increases. She doesn’t know how powerless she is at first, and most of the film is her discovering the lack of control she has over her life. Unfortunately the end fizzles what could have been an interesting discovery, and simultaneously wraps up too quickly while leaving much unanswered. It’s great to support women directors given the extreme inequities in the film industry, and I’m happy I saw this in the theater, but overall far less successful than Wilde’s breakthrough “Booksmart.”

The last movie on this list is “Tár” staring Cate Blanchett and a very strong supporting cast. Blanchett plays the fictional Tár, a prestigious symphony conductor at the top of her career. We know early on that something isn’t right, but the sense of dread slowly builds like one of the pieces she passionately directs. Set in New York and Berlin, the scenes are expertly edited to reflect Tár’s state of mind and the unraveling soon to come. This film contrasts nicely with the two mentioned above as the perpetrator here is a woman in power – an unusual twist in a post-Me Too world. Blanchett’s perfect portrayal of a narcissistic, self obsessed, yet exceedingly charming artist who abuses her power over others is the root of the story. The storytelling doesn’t get bogged down in exposition or explanation, but it’s clear who the villain is.

What is the relationship between lack of power and victims? How is this role reversed in these lead roles? When is it clear that someone has lost touch of the line between influence and harm? In each story, the lead character finds a kind of resolution but each end with varying levels of ambiguity. We’ll never know exactly how these characters’ stories end. What we do know is that we’re back at the movies.

(Two newer movies on this topic: “She Said” about the reporters who broke the Weinstein story, and “Women Talking” – a verbal accounting of the 2009 incidents that happened in the Bolivian Mennonite community).

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