With everything that’s happened over the past year, it’s nice to see a more receptive response for a movie that’s emotionally substantive. There is usually one that’s able to get enough recognition to find its way into the Best Picture conversation, but it’s the exception more than the rule. The Father is a highly creative and intimate portrait of a man’s decline into dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Director Florian Zeller adapted his own stage play with Christopher Hampton and while the play received quite a bit of critical acclaim as a “dark comedy”, that’s not the label I’d affix to the film. It’s not completely without a sense of humor, but calling it a comedy is a stretch. As the main character loses memories and begins to have more delusions, the lines of reality become blurred. The result is a particular kind of psychological stress that’s not quite horror, but it definitely leans into a wide range of fears. In that space, it takes you on quite an emotional journey.
It’s a heck of a debut feature film for Zeller and I see why this movie is up for Best Picture. The style of storytelling is very powerful in its presentation and flows effortlessly, even as perception bends around every corner. That is thanks in large part to subtle but ingenious production design by Peter Francis as one London flat is constantly reinvented. While the majority of the focus is on the lead character as what he knows is brought into question, the stress that branches out from his situation affects everyone around him. It’s a very well-balanced narrative that brings the viewer into the struggle through the eyes of an unreliable narrator.
At 83-years old, Anthony Hopkins is still as commanding as ever on-screen. This is one of his more vulnerable performances that I can think of, but his charisma still shines through and engages the viewer. Playing his daughter, Olivia Colman wears all the emotional baggage of their relationship with amazing poise and restraint. It’s subtle and measured. She’s such a strong performer, it’s not the pain you see so much as it is the cracks in her facade of normalcy. I can see why they are both nominated as the best in their respective categories and I’d be surprised if at least one of them wasn’t taking home some hardware.
The supporting cast is very strong as well, with Mark Gatiss, Olivia Williams, Imogen Poots, and the effortlessly villainous Rufus Sewell. All of their characters host different responses to Anthony’s declining faculties whether it be pity, frustration, resentment, or amusement. I should also mention, Ludovico Einaudi’s original music is a brilliant accompaniment to the emotional tone of the film.
It’s not easy to make this kind of subject matter both engaging and digestible. Thanks to some really strong writing and an innovative approach to the story, paired with some top-tier talent, this film easily recognizable as one of the year’s best. Powerful and painful, it’s going to resonate very powerfully for those who are going through or have gone through this with their own parents, but it’s accessible to anyone.
Recommendation: See it for the fantastic performances from Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman, stay for the imaginative approach to storytelling and how it generates an emotional response.