The Father
Details
Many films based on old age and cognitive decline prefer to convey this experience from an external perspective. This production, directed by Florian Zeller, presents a completely different approach: the story is not told to us from the outside. It is being kept alive from within. Anthony Hopkins is on screen in nearly every scene in this film, where an eighty-year-old man's mind gradually disintegrates. But what is truly impressive is not its existence, but how that existence is enveloped in uncertainty. The character Hopkins portrays is stubborn, witty, and sometimes endowed with childlike self-confidence; but with each scene, the ground shifts. As an audience, we also start to question when and where we are, who is who, whether what we are seeing is real or a piece of mind production. This feeling is not a coincidence; It is the product of a conscious fictional choice stemming from Zeller's theater-derived text. Olivia Colman, on the other hand, portrays the familiar, tired but undeterred caregiver in the role of the daughter. They walk the fine line between love and exhaustion; they struggle with the danger of losing both the other person and themselves. Colman's silent moments, his gaze without lines, are the moments that carry the emotional weight of the film. The narrative structure is unorthodox. The scenes do not fully articulate with each other, the places change, the faces shift. This deliberate confusion is not designed to disturb the viewer, but to force them to empathize. This film is one of the most honest cinematographic answers to the question of what it's like to experience Alzheimer's disease. The film itself also shares that deep loneliness in which reality dissolves, familiar faces become meaningless, and the house no longer feels like home. While Florian Zeller adapted the text from stage to screen, he did not destroy its theatrical essence; on the contrary, he strengthened it with cinematic tools. Camera angles, editing rhythm, the ever-changing yet unchanging atmosphere of the setting... All of these become part of explaining how memory works or no longer works. Some films tell a story. This film, however, evokes an emotion. And that emotion lingers with you long after its end.
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Reviews
Manuel São Bento
February 24, 2021
10/10
If you enjoy reading my Spoiler-Free reviews, please follow my blog @ https://www.msbreviews.com I've watched some incredible films during my life. Some offered me a blast of pure entertainment, others left me crying like a baby, and dozens made me laugh uncontrollably. Nevertheless, the most memorable movies are the ones that profoundly impact me emotionally either by remembering me of a past phase of my life or by possessing main characters who I can strongly relate to. What might be "just...
Louisa Moore - Screen Zealots
March 09, 2021
6/10
“The Father” gives its audience a fully immersive experience with the frustrations of dementia in this stage-to-screen adaptation of Florian Zeller‘s 2012 play. Making his feature film directorial debut, Zeller gives the project a personal touch with much emotional gravity, as he’s so intimate with the source material. The film has the look and feel of a stage play, but it thrusts audiences into the main character’s head in a way that only the medium can achieve. Anthony (Anthony Hopkins) is ...

SWITCH.
March 18, 2021
8/10
'The Father' is a standout during this very bland awards season, but just because it's both a critical darling and awards frontrunner doesn't take away from the emotional power and stellar performances for Colman and Hopkins. - Chris dos Santos Read Chris' full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-the-father-a-deeply-moving-look-at-mental-illness

r96sk
February 25, 2022
9/10
Incredible performances from Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman! <em>'The Father'</em> makes for a rather heart-breaking watch, it's very clear from the get-go where the film is heading but that doesn't stop it hitting directly in the feels. I've fortunately never been around someone with what this film depicts, yet it still came across as very realistic - based on what I have heard about the condition. Hopkins is utterly superb in the lead role, which is what I expected given I had heard a...

AstroNoud
February 26, 2022
9/10
‘The Father’ is an incredibly moving film that leaves you as confused in time and place as the main character (an incredible Hopkins), allowing the audience to experience - if only a little - what it must feel like to have dementia. 9/10
tmdb28039023
September 10, 2022
6/10
Anthony Hopkins's performance in The Father is bulletproof. This is fortunate, because he encounters what the military calls 'friendly fire' resulting from a baffling decision by co-writer/director Florian Zeller, who has a couple of characters played each by two different sets of actors. Thus Anne, Hopkins’s character’s (also named Anthony) daughter is played by Olivia Williams and Olivia Colman (who at least share some physical resemblance), while Anne's (ex)husband Paul is played by Rufus ...
badelf
October 31, 2022
9/10
We, as "normal" people, cannot imagine what really goes on inside the head of those suffering from more advanced dementia. We only know for sure what is reflected by caretakers and psychiatrists. Yet, Florian Zeller has done a tremendous job of immersing us in what may be the experience of one suffering individual. As a caretaker of two parents who both went this way, it is about as accurate an experience as we will ever come to understand. This is a powerful drama, made real by an absolutely am...

Nathan
February 17, 2023
9/10
The Father is a brilliant film. Fantastic performances all around, amazing editing, and cinematography that creates confusion for not only the audience but our main character. This story is so touching and incredibly tragic, it had me tearing up at multiple points. Not only do the emotional points work, but this film also creates an almost horror aspect of Alzheimer's that is quite frightening. It really made me sympathize for those with this disease and fear for the potential future of myself l...
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Frequently Asked Questions
The Father was released in 2020.
The Father has a runtime of 1 hr 37 min (97 minutes).
The Father belongs to the following genres: Drama.
The Father has a rating of 8.1/10 from 3,646 votes on TMDB.
In the United States, The Father is available to watch on: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.