Review of The Father (2020) by Flipje — 17 Dec 2021
The sense of disorientation evoked by this film made it a compelling and stunning watch. Antony (Hopkins) lives in a strange, revolving door of moments whereby we have no idea whether he is in the past or present.
The filmmaker, also the writer, Florian Zeller has taken his French play, La Père and brought it to the screen, perhaps giving the most realistic portraying of senility slowly emerging in an aging person.
Thankfully, he knows when to ground the viewer's perspective, orient them for awhile before bringing back the confusion. A fine balancing act. I will admit, I was hesitant, and for a while, resistant to watching this one, afraid it would be a gloomy trek.
It turns out, this movie not only shows you Antony's frustration with his dementia but the plight and frustration of loved ones around him, namely his daughter (Colman) and her husband (Sewell). It is a compassionate film, and it deeply respects its characters and world without dunking its audience into a heavy morass of depression.
By the film's end, there is a sense of hope and yet resignation. Life continues, no matter the pain and the confusion. Beautiful, meaningful. Highly recommended.
This review of The Father (2020) was written by Flipje on 17 Dec 2021.
The Father has generally received very positive reviews.
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