Review of And When Did You Last See Your Father? (2007) by Robert B — 05 Feb 2008

Anand Tucker (Hilary & Jackie, Shopgirl) is back with another excellently crafted, emotionally drifted tale of damaged people trying to find meaning in themselves and their relationships with others. As usual, with Tucker films, the audience is left to put the pieces together through the visuals, juxtapositions, and moments of stillness. Little is directly offered to us. This visual poetry could be perceived as a weakness, and has in the past been criticized by some reviewers. It can also be perceived as beautiful, and filled with more meaning in silence than can be said in pages of exposition.

Blake Morrison (Colin Firth) comes home to deal with the imminent death of his father (Jim Broadbent), and reflects on his past and present perceptions and understandings of who his father is and was, along with who he was and has become within that understanding.

Director Tucker has structured this film similarly to his previous efforts. The overall theme of the film is visible in the shots, editing, and sheer aesthetic of the film. Where â??Hilary & Jackieâ?? used constant spinning, and circular storytelling to express a feeling of control being lost, and â??Shopgirlâ?? juxtaposed lifestyles and differing perspectives to demonstrate life stages and emotional gaps, â??â?¦.Fatherâ?? uses a fragmented, almost voyeuristic perspective to distance the audience from the truth of what is going on, leaving us to make the assumptions that Firthâ??s character has been forced to make through life. This method of storytelling elevates a relatively generic and overdone story far beyond the page.

In addition to the very strong direction, this film is propelled by strong performances all around, in particular by Jim Broadbent, playing an idiosyncratic, highly flawed, but deeply caring father. Broadbent does an excellent job of making his character enigmatic, while understandable, which is really how his son (and in turn the audience) needs to perceive him for the story to work. Juliette Stevenson turns in a solid and understated performance as a woman married to man who may or may not be cheating on her, while remaining grounded for her two children. Firth is the weakest link here, with a relatively flat performance, which at its worst was still decent. The script was handled with care, and written with a subtlety not often granted by screenwriters.

This film likely wonâ??t be for everyoneâ??s taste. It is a highly emotional film that expects the audience to fill in the gaps themselves. If you appreciate films designed to make you feel, or have enjoyed Tuckerâ??s previous efforts, than this film is for you. If you are the kind of person who claims that â??Transformersâ?? was a good film, then you likely wonâ??t care for this film at all.