The Father (2020)

Rating 12
Length 1h37
Release 05.06.1998
Director Florian Seller
About Anthony suffers from dementia and is cared for by his daughter, Anne. But when Anne decides to move to Paris and Anthony must deal with this change, he finds himself losing his grip on reality.
Moon: no moon sighting
Where to Watch: 4OD
Trailer:

The Good

Anthony Hopkins is incredible. He gets the temperament on point in every scene and allows us to follow what is a complicated narrative thread. The final scene brings together a climax that the film painstakingly builds towards from the first moment. No one else would have been able to carry this film as he did.

The very thing that makes this a difficult watch, will ensure it’s regarded highly for decades to come. The presentation of an almost non-linear narrative, multiple actors playing the same characters. All of it gives what I can only imagine is an authentic, realistic, presentation of what it must feel like to be loosing your memory.

The script is crisp and clear. It is what helps the audience follow the story and piece together what is and isn’t reality. Without that script and carefully seeded anchors, the audience would be lost and unable to see beyond the scope of Anthony’s condition.

The Bad

I found the story thread of the daughter leaving for Paris hard not to react to. Perhaps my own experience and sacrifice for my father makes me a little angry. I get it, you really shouldn’t put your life on hold however I find myself not really understanding the men in Anne’s life and why they would not be more understanding of the situation.

The Ugly

It is a hard film to watch from the outset. The topic is heartbreaking, and I’ve never had the experience of watching a loved one losing their memory. At least not in the way it’s presented in this film. My father had issues with his memory, but it wasn’t dementia; his was from oxygen deprivation as a result of COPD and so he never lost the sense of who he was.
I cannot imagine this fill being cathartic for those who have had to endure an experience like this and being the emotional sponge that I am; I found it hard not to feel it deeply.

Final Thoughts

Not a film I intend to watch again. Incredibly well made, but a little too painful to watch.