Our Take
Stories can always be told from different angles, and this is exactly where the art of the author and the direction lies, in choosing that very angle. And the way it's done in The Father deserves the highest praise.
The film is told through the eyes of Anthony. It's worth noting separately that the role is played by the unmatched Anthony Hopkins, and a breakdown of his work in this film could demand an essay of its own, but I believe this is one of his finest roles. He plays an elderly man who, though old, is still full of strength and not particularly willing to accept help from his daughter, who wants to take care of him. At some point, however, he begins to realize that the world around him is changing, and his daughter no longer seems to be the person he has known all his life. He has to enter a difficult battle to figure out what is really going on.
The film is shot in very sunny and warm tones, and this device of contrast with what's happening on screen began, at some point, to evoke such complex emotions and thoughts in me that I started doubting my own reality. Very few films are capable of that, but that very angle, built in and masterfully delivered by the authors and the actors, created a rare experience of empathy that so few films today can offer.
Synopsis
A man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages and, as he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of his reality.
Cast
