Review: TIFF 2020: ‘The Father’ is devastatingly authentic (capsule) (Includes first-hand account)

The Father puts viewers in the shoes of Anthony (Sir Anthony Hopkins), an affluent retiree entering the late stages of dementia. Unwilling to admit he needs assistance, he’s rudely run-off several caregivers hired by his daughter, Anne (Olivia Colman). In the meantime, Anthony wanders around in his pyjamas more frequently, fails to recognize his family or his surroundings, and loses track in the midst of basic tasks.

Writer/director Florian Zeller’s debut feature is an adaptation of a play that personifies dementia. The experience of watching the picture is simultaneously sad and terrifying. Anthony’s symptoms are depicted in a manner that initially confuses audiences until they gradually realize that this is, to some degree, a first-person perspective of life with the disease, which adds a solemn weight to the film experience. Hopkins is definitely on a gold-paved path to awards season with his exceptional performance. His portrayal of Anthony’s memory lapses, as well as impaired reasoning and social abilities are devastatingly authentic. It’s also something to see a Hollywood icon in such a vulnerable state.

The whole concept and its execution are quite effective and affecting. While it’s still impossible to know exactly what it’s like to live with dementia, this glimpse into the disease will not be easily forgotten — nor will Hopkins’ performance.

The Father played in the Special Presentations category at the Toronto International Film Festival. Check back for our full review closer to the theatrical release date.

Director: Florian Zeller
Starring: Olivia Colman, Anthony Hopkins and Imogen Poots

Similar Posts

  • Review: ‘High-Rise’ is a spectacular failed social experiment (Includes first-hand account)

    When one looks back at particular eras or segments of history, they can often give the impression of one big social experiment conducted by a great unknown. The questions that seem to be asked most frequently are, “How far can we take this?” and relatedly, “How long will people allow this to continue?” The answers are often frightening and may cause the observer to doubt humanity’s ability or will to survive, and yet the past appears to be treated as a how-to guide rather than a reminder of earlier mistakes. In High-Rise, a mini-society forms in the confines of a London building; but its social hierarchy invites a chaotic repetition of days gone by.

  • Review: ‘The Salesman’ discovers justice can have its own consequences (Includes first-hand account)

    No matter how long or solid a relationship, many find it difficult to survive a trauma. The stress to deal with it and get past it can be unbearable; particularly if one person is more readily able to do so than the other. This uneven response to their shared experience can foster resentment on both sides and cause them to slowly drift apart. In The Salesman, audiences are introduced to a couple who have trouble coping with the aftermath of a home invasion.

  • Review: ‘Justice League’ demonstrates the power of teamwork (Includes first-hand account)

    When a studio or its filmmakers are devoid of original ideas or true creativity, they take what they have and compare it to what’s already out there; then they make adjustments in an attempt to produce a success rather than a unique and/or engrossing picture. DC carries the weight of decades of cinematic history to live up to, but looking at their narratives as a contest instead of a standalone entry into the zeitgeist is part of the problem. They need to focus on being good, not better. On the heels of the dismal Batman v Superman and the exceptional Wonder Woman, Justice League tries to find some middle ground.