| The Father (2020) | |
| Director: | Florian Zeller |
| Cast: | Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Imogen Poots, Olivia Williams, Mark Gatiss, Rufus Sewell |
| Release Date | 23 December 2020 |
| Genre: | Drama |
| IMDB: | 8.3/10 |
The Father Plot:
Anthony is mischievous, living the last days of his life defiantly alone, refuses all assistance from his daughter, Anne. Confident of the self, as he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind, and even the fabric of his reality. “the father review”
The Father Review
When I found that Chadwick Boseman didn’t win the Best Actor Academy Award this year I, just like most others, was surprised a little. I’ve seen Anthony Hopkins’s previous performances & totally appreciate him but I was impressed with Boseman’s act in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. But I watched this film last night and I was deeply moved by the startling act of Anthony Hopkins that makes this film memorable. He winning the Oscar this year, now it seems right somehow; choices were tough even for the Academy I would say. Sir Anthony’s performance alone was enough to captivate the audience. He was charming & funny at times, & then immensely broken & helpless at times that you would nearly find yourself sobbing. And the next moment he is a child, crying for his mother to return.(1)
This movie resembles the exact reality of most old age people. People as they are live their last days of life, need the support of a stronger individual because a lot happens within the aged brains of theirs- forgetting events of life, confused memories, uncertain anger & it goes on. Without the support of their children or even someone who can truly take care of them, elderlies might get lost. Anthony suffering from dementia, & Olivia Colman as Anne trying her best to provide him care- the portray of the exact relationship & the hardships was outstanding. This is more than just a film, an experience that young people must-have. “the father review”
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I don’t think there could have been a better choice than Olivia Colman as Anne. She is the next best factor of this film that shapes the father-daughter duo. A woman who needs to settle in Paris with her fiancée & at the moment she visits her father, knowing that his condition is worsening from aging & loneliness. He keeps misbehaving with the carers that Anne arranges for him because he’s confident enough that he can live on his own. The only thing he cares about is his watch. A man so in love with his flat that often he blames his daughter to be manipulative who wants to inherit his flat & so convincing him to be vulnerable- when the truth is he is living with Anne.
This sudden surprising volatile behavior breaks Anne & makes her hopeless when she already knows that this will end in tragedy. Not applauding Colman’s performance wouldn’t do justice to the cast entirely. Her expressions of shock but still holding herself together with hope will surely chill your spine to think that any of us would face similar things with our loved ones.
The film manages to confuse you beautifully as our protagonist immerses more & more into self-doubts, transience & misattribution. I must say that the director, Florian Zeller did a masterful work with this film because you get to experience the events that Anthony is suffering from. Based on a novel by Zeller himself, his direction portrayed the essence & feel of the story in a realistic way that only he could have visualized. The lights, colors & nature all has contributions to this beautiful storytelling. The characters are real and he did the finest work here with flawless direction.
Verdict
The Father is an excellently crafted, very heartful film that I feel is important to this generation, especially young ones. It prepares you & educates you about what might happen in the future with the elderly members of your family. Or it might even happen to us & then what would we expect others to do for us & acting accordingly when we still have the chance. Florian Zeller with his film introduced us to the reality of life, relationships & hopelessness of life in his new drama, The Father.
