“The Father” Review
Olivia Coleman (Left) and Anthony Hopkins star in “The Father,” one of eight films nominated for Best Picture at the upcoming Academy Awards.
Few films recently have affected me emotionally as much as “The Father.” The adoration I have for it is unparalleled and the emotion that this film brought out of me is a testament to what film can do as an art form.
Starring Anthony Hopkins in a career-defining performance, “The Father” sees a man (Hopkins) experiencing dementia as his memory gets progressively worse. His daughter Anne (Olivia Coleman) and her husband (Rufus Sewell) take care of him in their London flat and have to consider whether or not to place him in a nursing home for his own health.
What makes “The Father” especially remarkable is the creative decision to tell the film from Hopkin’s viewpoint as he repeats sentences, becomes suspicious of his caretakers, forgets where he is and even forgets who his daughter is. At certain points of the film, Anne is played by a different actress (Olivia Williams) to visually show the audience what having dementia is like.
Hopkins is incredible in the film and shows off his full range as an actor going from full of life one minute and becoming weak and weary the next. He brings a level of humanity to the role that few actors can and helps the audience gain some understanding as to what he’s experiencing. Hopkins undoubtedly has earned his nomination at the upcoming Academy Awards for Best Actor.
Anthony Hopkins is at the top of his craft in “The Father” and is the best he’s been since “The Silence of the Lambs.”
Olivia Coleman also does wonders as Anne and portrays a strong character on the verge of collapse as her father slowly drifts away. The relationship she shares with Hopkins is nothing short of fascinating as she tries to understand her father while also being a point of reality.
However, since the film is told from Hopkin’s perspective, it’s often unclear what’s real and what’s not. Every character in the film is, at one point, played by another actor and certain scenes and lines repeat themselves in a slightly different way. This is a brilliant move as it allows the viewer to be just as confused and powerless as Hopkins is.
The film is never dull and the final 15 minutes delivers some of the finest acting that Hopkins has ever delivered as an actor.
The reason why this film affected me is because two of my great-grandmothers, who sadly are no longer with us, suffered from memory loss as they got older and it made me feel sad. Watching this film allowed me, in some way, to understand what they must’ve felt like as well as reminded me of all the good days we had together. There are moments in the film where Hopkins’ character feels like himself again and, despite being a sad subject, “The Father” does manage to find some joyful moments.
Deeply personal and undoubtedly a masterwork, “The Father” is a film that I won’t soon be forgetting.
