The Father

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Mark Gatiss, Olivia Williams, Imogen Poots, Rufus Sewell, Ayesha Dharker
Directed by: Florian Zeller
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
2020

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: An elderly man (Anthony Hopkins) struggles with dementia and trying to make sense of the world around him.

Review:

Tim: In an otherwise dismal year, 2020's The Father was certainly one of the bright spots. Florian Zeller's feature directorial debut (based on his play) is a mesmerizing, heartbreaking look at dementia and the impacts it has on those suffering from it and those family members impacted by it. It's a masterful debut, an unforgettable film that packs an emotional punch and holds your attention from start to finish. The film won 2 Academy Awards (nominated for 6) and is undoubtedly one of the very best films of the year.

I absolutely loved how Zeller used the visual medium to tell this story. His work here is excellent. To represent the fraying of Anthony's mind, the movie changes the location, the people, and so many smaller details to pull the audience into the disorienting, frightening feeling of being unable to keep things straight in our own mind. This movie does perhaps the best job I've ever seen of helping the audience to understand how confusing and awful it would be to have the past and present, reality and unreality all entwined together in our minds. Even without the great performances, this film would have been fascinating because of how Zeller tells this story. I was continuously scanning the frames to see what was different, what had changed, trying to understand where in the story the moment took place. What was real? What was imagined? What was remembered but pulled into the present? It's truly a stunning experience to watch this movie- and it's very rare to say that these days. Zeller creates something truly remarkable in this film.

While I loved that aspect of the film, you also have to bow down in awe at what Anthony Hopkins does here. Hopkins has long been one of the greatest actors of all time and here, at well past 80 years old, he reminds us again of his nearly limitless talent. Hopkins brings forth so many different emotions throughout this film. He's arrogant and defiant. He's frightened and confused. He's happy, lost, perplexed, a victim, the aggressor. I don't know of many actors who could even get close to doing what he did in this film. It's a mesmerizing performance and much of it comes in small, subtle things he does. There's a beautifully poignant scene at the end where he's able to unleash his full talent and you just sit there in awe of what he did. However, the performance is much more than that one big moment- it's all the smaller ones leading to that. Hopkins won the Academy Award for Best Actor and I know there were many who thought Chadwick Boseman should have won posthumously for his performance. Boseman was indeed fantastic, but I don't know if I can say it was an outright snub. Hopkins does something truly beautiful in this film, and I felt happy he won his second Academy Award, 29 years later after winning his first. It's tough because Boseman deserved to win, too. I don't think the decision was an outrage, though. Hopkins is just that good here.

The supporting cast is excellent, too. Olivia Colman has the largest role outside of Hopkins and is wonderful here. She shows so much vulnerability, conveys so much emotion through her performance. Often in movies like this, the main performance can so overshadow the rest that it feels like it's all about one person. That thankfully doesn't happen here and Colman is a big reason why. She more than holds her own opposite Hopkins and she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her efforts. Mark Gatiss added a great supporting performance and Rufus Sewell did, too. I really enjoyed both of their performances and they added greatly to the film. Olivia Williams was excellent and a huge addition to the cast. Imogen Poots did some exceptional work as well. Truly, the entire cast all gave top-notch performances, which significantly contribute to this being such a great film.

The Father really is a beautiful movie. It's hard to watch. It's emotional and it makes you a bit afraid of the future. Will I end up like this? It's so stark, so visually engrossing that you find yourself getting pulled into it, contemplating your own life. That's a testament to what Zeller does here. The movie also won best Adapted Screenplay, which is well deserved. This is an incredible movie and one of the best films I saw in 2020.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Favourite, Still Alice, Hearts in Atlantis