With certain films regarding certain subject matters, it is often the case that audiences are split to watch it not due to an actor, a director or a writer, but rather simply by the fact that it may hit too close to home; that will certainly be the case for many people in the case of The Father. However although a personal relation may heighten and personalise the plot and characters of the film, those who do venture to watch the film The Father will find a sublime and complex vision of the inside of a man’s diseased head and all those who come in and out of his life, performed to perfection by the entire ensemble, aswell as being written and directed to precise beauty by the play’s original author Florian Zeller (utilising the English language adaptation from Christopher Hampton), all in all one must comment that The Father is a filmic success and indeed a rather emotionally devastating one.

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The Father follows at the heart of its story a man named Anthony, played by Anthony Hopkins, who is slowly losing grip on his reality as he is eroded by some form of un-named dementia. The main focus of the story is on the relationship Anthony shares with his daughter Anne, played by Olivia Colman, and in turn the man she currently or perhaps not is in a relationship with, Paul played by Rufus Sewell. However at every turn Zeller introduces new factors to the film to better elaborate the mental state of Anthony, ranging from different actors taking on the roles of Anne and Paul/Mark and a re-use of elements of set design for different locations. All in all, paired with the ever looping and starkly abrupt editing, The Father quickly reveals itself to not only be an emotionally devastating character study of a man near the end of his life, but also one of the most startlingly original visions on film of what it must be like to have this disease. Afterall the main emphasis of the film and where its great depth of power lies is within this brilliant presentation of being inside that ever unknowable mind as it crumbles. The first of the films two Oscars was indeed for Zeller and Hampton’s wonderful screenplay, which pars intense conversations with funny exchanges and confusing losses of information throughout, making a tragic and powerful ode to the conversations that regrettably occur in many houses all across our country, and indeed the world. All in all for a directorial debut this is stunningly accomplished work from Zeller, who with his editor Yorgos Lamprinos and set designer Peter Francis, have delivered a whole journey/descent at a wonderful languid pace and an ever-changing dynamic of scenes.

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Of course the second Oscar received was for Anthony Hopkin’s performance for which one can only reserve the deepest gushes and highest hyperboles, but this is no such case where age or achievement blinds one to the actual quality of performance – this is purely and simply the greatest performance of the year and one of the finest performances I think I shall ever see. It’s beauty of spirit thwarted by the brutality and tragedy of the disease leads one to reckon with all manner of life questions, whilst all the while we marvel at the multiple subtleties in the work. This is indeed paired by Olivia Colman’s similarly terrific turn as Anne. Nobody I feel will be surprised by the quality of Hopkins or Colman’s performances, however when one steps back and realises just how different and once more insanely good they are, a deeper respect is earned. Both Colman and Hopkins play with the deep rooted pain of the situation whilst never losing the sight of familial love and bond keeping them together, in so many ways trapped. As aforementioned the ensemble too contains further great performances. Mark Gatiss as ‘the man’ and Olivia Williams as ‘the woman’ are the main aspect of Zeller’s visions when it comes to un-mooring Anthony’s sense of time and place and person. For as much as they pivot in performance from dark and villainous to touching and motherly, their position never complies with the performances of those they are mirroring – furthering even more the beauty and complexities of the piece. Rufus Sewell and Imogen Poots once more deliver lovely work and continue to be two actors I am never disappointed by and always am excited to see. The Father is so many things, but at the end of the day it does fundamentally strive on its simplicity as it tells its complex tale of pain, suffering and an eroding hope.

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A truly beautiful 9/10 film, with both a startling level of creative talent and emotional intelligence within it. Zeller has conducted a piece of film that not only serves a complex and heartaching tale, but also a rich drama with a tragic mystery at the heart of it. The entire ensemble are stellar in their turns, however one can simply not ignore the simple masterful all time career high work of both Hopkins and Colman. A film of great performances, great writing, great direction and great power.

P.S. I have said for years that I wanted Rufus Sewell back on our screens! Welcome back, always liked you Rufus. Here’s to more soon!

-         - Thomas Carruthers