The Father (2020) – 8.5/10 – Unsettling, tough watch from patient aspect. Hopkins legendary
This film is tough & painful to watch, but impactful. The story is about an old man, Anthony, going through age-related dementia. We can see the fairly rapid progression from his perspective. Confusion, disorientation, mood swings, memories, and time blend from day to day, moment to moment. He loses his sense of reality and struggles to stay in the moment. We become part of his hallucinations, seeing it as how he would glimpse things. It’s very unsettling and heartbreaking to see in action. For the first time since I have been reviewing movies, I don’t have much to say. I usually have to restrain myself from writing too long reviews, often removing sentences/thoughts altogether to keep them short. I can’t stop talking about films if I like them. However, this time, I am struggling for words; I don’t think words can do this film justice.
So, I will shift focus to the technicals. Anthony Hopkins is a legend, who won an Oscar for Best Actor here (at age 83, the oldest ever). I was distraught by his acting. It felt real to me, making me forget I was watching a movie. Olivia Colman, who plays his daughter Anne, also had outstanding acting as she struggles to make sense of the situation. The writing, editing, directing, and cinematography are excellent. The screenplay is original. Typically, films like these focus on people around the patient rather than on the actual patient. Florian Zeller, the director, made this film with only Hopkins in mind. I don’t think anyone else can pull this off at that age, outside of perhaps 4-5 living actors from the film universe. From the ones I know, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Amitabh Bachchan, Ian McKellen, and Patrick Stewart. None would probably be as good as Hopkins.
Would I recommend this? Yes. However, it’s important to note that it’s depressing to watch. It stays with you long after you finish watching. Aging is challenging to deal with, but we all must go through it, rain or shine.
