The Father

The Father, an intimate and poignant film from 2020, directed by Florian Zeller and based on his 2012 play, Le Pére, achieves raw emotional authenticity and a profound sense of empathy. Leading the cast, Anthony Hopkins delivers a brilliant performance, delivering an intense portrayal of a man grappling with dementia.

This film can be credited as one of the most accurate, compelling and intimate depictions of dementia ever put on screen. The Father employs innovative techniques to bring audiences into the disorienting and fragmented world of its protagonist, Anthony, played by Anthony Hopkins with a finesse that confirms why he's revered as a screen legend.

Co-starring is Olivia Colman, notable for her work in The Crown and The Favourite, who brings a mix of depth and strength to her role. She plays Anne, Anthony's well-intentioned daughter, who has to walk the tightrope of her own life while desperately trying to care for her progressively confused father. Colman's grounded performance provides the perfect counterpoint to Hopkin's relentless and chaotic, unveiling a raw and emotional portrayal of a dutiful daughter.

The plot of The Father isn't straightforward due to the film's exceptional structure, which mirrors the way dementia detaches sufferers from reality. Zeller doesn't provide a linear narrative for the audience to follow. Instead, viewers are placed in Anthony’s shoes, experiencing his confusion, frustration and heightened emotions when facing his developing ailment. We don't watch Anthony's struggle from afar, rather we live it with him, which makes for a deeply moving, somewhat unsettling, yet enlightening experience.

A highlight of the movie is the remarkable ensemble cast, which includes Rufus Sewell, Imogen Poots, and Mark Gatiss. Each actor is committed to realising Zeller’s vision of a family torn apart by dementia. Familiar faces suddenly become strangers, the home turns into unfamiliar territory, relationships are complicated, and time is blurred, capturing the essence of the disease plaguing the main protagonist.

Equally as engaging as the cast is the film's production design. If ever there was a film where the set becomes a character, it is The Father. The backdrop is a labyrinthine flat in London, shifting subtly as Anthony's disease progresses. Rooms disappear, perspectives alter and belongings are lost, mirroring the alterations in Anthony’s mind. It adds an additional layer to the narrative because even viewers will question their grasp of what is real and what is not, evoking the lurking terror of forgetting familiar faces and places.

As a film, The Father refuses to sentimentalise or simplify the reality of dementia. It perfectly encapsulates the tragedy of trying to make sense of a world that is becoming increasingly alien. Hopkins perfectly establishes a horrifying undercurrent of disintegration and vulnerability where he moves from charm and flamboyance to flashes of anger, and then, subtle child-like confusion.

The tender movie simultaneously touches upon a personal narrative and a universal experience, making it extremely relatable for audiences, especially those who have had close encounters with dementia. What it manages to do, without compromise, is to highlight the humanity in the face of illness and delve into raw, often unexplored emotional territory.

The Father is a unique and immersive cinematic experience in 2020 that explores dementia through the lens of its sufferers, as opposed to witnessing it from the outside. It is more than just a film about illness. It's a thought-prevoking and unsettling introspection on love, loss, ageing, reality and memory. It's a haunting tale that echoes long after the credits have rolled, affirming the power cinema has to generate compassion, deepen understanding, and change perspectives.