Canada: Friday, March 19, 2021
Sony Pictures Classics
for some strong language, and thematic material
Anthony is 80, mischievous, living defiantly alone and rejecting the carers that his daughter, Anne, encouragingly introduces. Yet help is also becoming a necessity for Anne; she can't make daily visits anymore and Anthony's grip on reality is unravelling. As we experience the ebb and flow of his memory, how much of his own identity and past can Anthony cling to? How does Anne cope as she grieves the loss of her father, while he still lives and breathes before her? THE FATHER warmly embraces real life, through loving reflection upon the vibrant human condition; heart-breaking and uncompromisingly poignant - a movie that nestles in the truth of our own lives.
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Gregory M. - Rated it 3 out of 5
"The Father" Anthony (Anthony Hopkins) is 80, mischievous, living defiantly alone and rejecting the carers that his.daughter, Anne (Olivia Coleman), encouragingly introduces. Yet help is also becoming a necessity for Anne; she can’t make daily visits anymore and Anthony’s grip on reality is unravelling. As we experience the ebb and flow of his memory, how much of his own identity and past can Anthony cling to? How does Anne cope as she grieves the loss of her father, while he still lives and breathes before her? "The Father" warmly embraces real life, through loving reflection upon the vibrant human condition; heart-breaking and uncompromisingly poignant; a movie that nestles in the truth of our own lives. It's an inescapable fact of life that for every relationship between a parent and a child, there's a moment in time where the child becomes a carer, and the parent a dependent. This is at the core of "The Father". It's a wrought family drama of what happens when a relationship which has colored our every waking moment for decades suddenly and irrevocably changes. An elderly father and his middle-aged daughter struggling to adapt to changed circumstances. What we see on the screen does not necessarily give us a true version of the world. The film experiences the world through the prism of the character Anthony's confusion, as his dementia sets in motion a gradual decline effecting every part of his reality. But this is not just a film about dementia, and he's more than an unreliable narrator. He's at the center of a struggle which gives "The Father" elements of both thriller and horror; with Anthony’s mind as the unremitting nemesis. In a way it's like a thriller. It asks the audience to be part of the story by building a narrative. The story is about that moment when you become your parent's parent, and Anne is at the heart of the narrative. She has to decide if she's going to lead her life or lead her father's life. It's not about a medical condition and the people who suffer from it. "The Father" tries to find an artistic way of presenting the way dementia affects the people around the patient, those who suffer the fall-out. The script shows what it must be like to live the life of a man suffering from 'Alzheimers', when there are moments of clarity mixed with moments of obscurity. You see that Anthony starts off comfortable and at home in his flat, but gradually he sees that there has been a series of small, incremental changes. It's terrifying to think of your world shifting beneath your feet when you’ve lost the ability to comprehend the change. Anne wants to care for her father, but she also has to live her life. She must make some very hard decisions. Paul (Rufus Sewell) is Olivia's husband. You've to see Paul through something of a cracked lens. He's ostensibly a loving husband to Anne. He’s not unkind but he's concerned for his wife and that doesn't always bring out the best in him. Laura (Imogen Poots) is brought in to care for Anthony as his condition deteriorates. She provides a portal to his youth, which brings about both joyful and painful memories of his past. The character’s experience is one of walking on eggshells, one long tightrope where she's often uncertain of how Anthony will behave or respond as his mood shifts and changes. She want him to feel like he could trust her, but without patronizing him,.as often the smallest trigger can precipitate the fear and distress that Anthony often experiences. Equally there are also touches of a comedy of menace and the fragmentation of the comedy of menace. It's as if Anthony's brain is beginning to splinter. He's terrified because he doesn't know who Bill (Mark Gatiss) is, and he becomes a threatening character. The set becomes another character, with it's own story to tell. At times it's cosy and comforting, at times cold and unfamiliar, but always changing and shifting around Anthony. The film shifts the colors and tone from golds, creams, yellows and browns towards blues. Despite such apparently dark subject matter, the film is built on a foundation of human empathy, with moments of laughter and even a sense of joy. What matters is the nature of the characters you see; ordinary people who are trying to deal with basic issues. It's about making amends and the changing relationship we've with our parents. It celebrates the unbreakable bond between parent and child as they're locked together on a journey into the unknown. While it’s sometimes funny or silly to observe, imagine how appalling every moment must be when it’s happening to you. Life for someone with dementia is like living in a horror movie all the time, not knowing who’s going to come through the door. One of the ideas expressed in the script of "The Father" is it's universal application; how few of us are likely to escape some kind of direct exposure to the themes of the film. It's about loss and love, and the way you suffer when the person you love no longer knows you. The film can at times sit somewhere on the plane between reality and fantasy, yet the fascinating window into the life of a man suffering from dementia, and the repercussions upon his family invites one to have a deeply human experience. You’re not mean to find your way out of the maze. written by Gregory Mann
