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The Father
Playwright and director Florian Zeller has put a lot of style and impeccable detail into the 2020 film version of his own play The Father, a bold and terribly sad look at a universal problem that millions are dealing with on a daily basis, but spices it up with a couple of unconventional storytelling tools.
Oscar winner Sir Anthony Hopkins plays Anthony, an aging gentleman slipping into dementia, who is either unaware of it or in denial of it, who spends every waking hour trying to convince everyone, his daughter Anne (Oscar winner Olivia Colman) in particular, that he can live on is own and this 24/7 battle for continued independence has Anthony questioning his own sanity and everything else going on in the world.
Zeller and writer Christopher Hampton (who won an Oscar for his screenplay for Dangerous Liaisons) have received an Oscar nomination for this beautifully crafted story that, on the surface, appears to be simple and, if the truth be told confusing and all over the place, but if the viewer pays very close attention, the initial confusion experienced by the viewer is no accident and it is left up to the viewer to arrange the puzzle pieces of Anthony's life and put them together.
Don't get me wrong, for the first 30 minutes of this film, this reviewer was completely confused. It's unclear as to whether the flat where Anthony is actually belongs to him, Anne's marital status is unclear, and the story appears to flash back and forth. What seems to be going on here is that Zeller and Hampton's story seems to blend the facts of Anthony's life with what is going on in Anthony's life in Anthony's mind, which makes for a confusing but heartbreaking story about the aging process that makes squirm worthy entertainment. Though there is a lot Anthony is fighting here, it's interesting watching how his focus can boil down to something relatively minor, like his missing wristwatch which he accuses two different people of stealing. I also loved the way the music over the opening credits, which plays while Anne is going to the flat, reveals is what Anthony is listening to on his headphones. We later learn that all the music in the film is the music that Anthony listens to.
This groundbreaking drama has been nominated for six Oscars. In addition to Zeller and Hampton's screenplay, the film has also has earned a Lead Actor nomination for Hopkins' blistering performance in the title role, a supporting actress nomination for Olivia Colman, whose beautifully understated work as Anne is easy to overlook. Some of her strongest work in the film has nothing to do with dialogue. Watch her in the elevator scene when Anthony tells her how pretty she looks. There were other nods to production design, film editing, and, of course, Best Picture. It requires a little patience and the viewer might be tempted to check out early in, but will regret it because this complex and imaginative film is definitely worth the rocky ride.
Playwright and director Florian Zeller has put a lot of style and impeccable detail into the 2020 film version of his own play The Father, a bold and terribly sad look at a universal problem that millions are dealing with on a daily basis, but spices it up with a couple of unconventional storytelling tools.
Oscar winner Sir Anthony Hopkins plays Anthony, an aging gentleman slipping into dementia, who is either unaware of it or in denial of it, who spends every waking hour trying to convince everyone, his daughter Anne (Oscar winner Olivia Colman) in particular, that he can live on is own and this 24/7 battle for continued independence has Anthony questioning his own sanity and everything else going on in the world.
Zeller and writer Christopher Hampton (who won an Oscar for his screenplay for Dangerous Liaisons) have received an Oscar nomination for this beautifully crafted story that, on the surface, appears to be simple and, if the truth be told confusing and all over the place, but if the viewer pays very close attention, the initial confusion experienced by the viewer is no accident and it is left up to the viewer to arrange the puzzle pieces of Anthony's life and put them together.
Don't get me wrong, for the first 30 minutes of this film, this reviewer was completely confused. It's unclear as to whether the flat where Anthony is actually belongs to him, Anne's marital status is unclear, and the story appears to flash back and forth. What seems to be going on here is that Zeller and Hampton's story seems to blend the facts of Anthony's life with what is going on in Anthony's life in Anthony's mind, which makes for a confusing but heartbreaking story about the aging process that makes squirm worthy entertainment. Though there is a lot Anthony is fighting here, it's interesting watching how his focus can boil down to something relatively minor, like his missing wristwatch which he accuses two different people of stealing. I also loved the way the music over the opening credits, which plays while Anne is going to the flat, reveals is what Anthony is listening to on his headphones. We later learn that all the music in the film is the music that Anthony listens to.
This groundbreaking drama has been nominated for six Oscars. In addition to Zeller and Hampton's screenplay, the film has also has earned a Lead Actor nomination for Hopkins' blistering performance in the title role, a supporting actress nomination for Olivia Colman, whose beautifully understated work as Anne is easy to overlook. Some of her strongest work in the film has nothing to do with dialogue. Watch her in the elevator scene when Anthony tells her how pretty she looks. There were other nods to production design, film editing, and, of course, Best Picture. It requires a little patience and the viewer might be tempted to check out early in, but will regret it because this complex and imaginative film is definitely worth the rocky ride.