A One Mann’s Movies review of “The Father” (2021).
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
It seems ridiculous that here – on June 11th – I am finally watching “The Father” – the last of the “Oscar films” from 2020. But – hey – it’s been a ridiculous couple of years.
Soooo great to see Olivia WIlliams back on the big screen after winning her fight against pancreatic cancer. She is also shortly to play Camilla in “The Crown”. (Source: Sony Pictures Classic).
Plot Summary:
Anthony (Anthony Hopkins) is elderly and living in his flat. His daughter Anne (Olivia Colman) keeps dropping by to check he is OK. But is this right? Strange things keep happening to him, from losing his watch to having strange people turn up at the flat. For Anthony is battling against dementia, and reality and fantasy are not quite as distinct as they once were.
Unfortunately some of these “I CAN’T FIND MY BLOODY WATCH!” scenes felt far closer to my reality than was comfortable. (Source: Sony Pictures Classic).
Certification:
Talent:
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Olivia Williams, Mark Gatiss, Rufus Sewell, Imogen Poots.
Directed by: Florian Zeller.
Written by: Christopher Hampton and Florian Zeller. (Based on the play “Le Pére” by Florian Zeller ).
A stunning supporting performance from the impeccable Ms Colman. (Source: Sony Pictures Classic).
“The Father” Review:
Positives:
- I was one of those disappointed that Chadwick Boseman didn’t posthumously win the Best Actor Oscar for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”. But, boy oh boy, after seeing this I am fully supportive of the Academy’s position. Anthony Hopkins has delivered some astonishingly powerful performances during his career – from the tortured ventriloquist in “Magic”, to Hannibal Lector to the elderly pope in “The Two Popes”. But he really excels himself here, tapping both your emotions and your sympathies as the confused and terrified old man.
- The Oscar- and BAFTA-winning screenplay by Florian Zeller, based on his stage play, is devastating, subtly twisting the knife. It will be particularly telling/upsetting for those who are getting on in years and/or have/had elderly parents affected by dementia. I would personally not have included (being deliberately vague) the “Williams entry” scene in the trailer, since it is a jolt of a twist in the film. But there are so many other clever devices in the screenplay that you don’t see coming. The ending in particular is brutal on the emotions.
- The production design (an Oscar nomination for Peter Francis and Cathy Featherstone) is ingenious, as the set subtly and progressively transforms. Almost a ‘spot the difference’ in movie form.
- The score by Ludovico Einaudi uses atonal strings to great effect, as Anthony’s reality keeps shifting from under him.
Neatly demonstrating the ‘flirtatious’ side of dementia (of which I have personal experience). The delightful Imogen Poots is on the receiving end of the tap-dancing demonstration. (Source: Sony Pictures Classic).
Negatives:
- I’ve nothing here, hence my 5* rating. I’ve seen some reviews that have thought that the movie was too “stagey” (which is a criticism I have levelled before at a bunch of “stage to screen” adaptations such as “Fences” and – more recently – “One Night in Miami” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom“). But I really didn’t feel that way about “The Father”. The claustrophobic nature of the plot was well served I thought by the (largely) single set location.
What a dream for Florian Zeller…. to direct the great Anthony Hopkins in your own work. (Source: Sony Pictures Classic).
Summary Thoughts on “The Father”:
Dementia is a cruel and heartless disease that robs any affected elderly person of their memories, logic and – ultimately – their dignity. I thought the movie was extremely clever in reflecting this decline, anchored by the astonishing career-best performance from Sir Anthony Hopkins.
But this in turns makes this a very hard watch indeed. It is – without doubt – a “Father Ted film“.
Trailer:
The trailer for “The Father” is here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sTWhXVHlDk . (It contains a spoiler for a plot development, so not recommended to be watched).
