THE FATHER – Review

With Spring and its school semester breaks looming, the studios are flooding our few operating theatres and streaming apps with lots of frothy fares, from kids’ animated fantasies to “brand-name” comedy sequels and prequels. But we’re not quite done with more somber serious offerings, as the biggest movie award is still several weeks away. That’s an apt description for this stark family drama, whose major themes are so familiar to so many today. But as the pandemic shuffles along, a huge invisible fence has been placed between loved ones in crisis. This dilemma concerns the loss of an elder, not from a swift reaper’s strike, or even a slow shutdown of physical functions. Rather it’s an achingly slow mental dissolve into darkness. And in this new work, that cruel fate is reserved for the family patriarch, THE FATHER.

The title character in question is Anthony (Anthony Hopkins), a retired literary man in his early 80s who seems quite content in an opulent apartment overlooking a quiet English village. He’s preparing a nice spot of tea after a grocery run when a noise has him reaching for a kitchen blade. Ah, but it’s only his middle-aged daughter Anne (Olivia Coleman), who has dropped in for a visit and will probably try to get him to sell his beloved comfy “flat”. But she has somewhat of a bombshell, as she informs him of her intent to move to France with her boyfriend. As Anne putters about in another room, he goes into his den and discovers a mysterious man (Mark Gatiss) reading the paper. Upon questioning him (and bluffing away his responses), “Tony” is informed that the “reader” is Anne’s hubby, who is the actual owner of the place. Anthony’s at a loss at to the cause of his confusion, until the private conversation between Anne and her husband reveals that “father” is battling dementia and is losing grip on reality, unable to recall his own circumstances, as the past morphs into the present. One afternoon Anne brings in a twenty-something woman named Laura (Imogen Poots) for a casual interview (to be her dad’s live-in caregiver). Laura is at first charmed by Anthony’s antics (he does a lil’ “soft shoe”) until he begins a vicious verbal assault. As Laura hurriedly exits, Anne nearly gives in to despair as another unfamiliar (to father) face appears, the pragmatic Paul (Rufus Sewell). Eventually, Anne dissolves into a woman (Olivia Williams) whose brusk demeanor adds to Anthony’s near-constant state of agitated panic. Will his waking nightmare ever end, or is this Anthony’s “new normal”?

In a film career now entering its seventh decade, Hopkins continues to astound and surprise, particularly in this, perhaps his most vulnerable and human character. His Anthony (interesting that the role takes his own first name) is proudly independent, keen on “getting things done”, though he realizes the need to get a bit of support from his family. But his anger often gets the best of him as his frustration boils into a fury, lashing out at those who care. He thinks he can escape his constant fog by the sheer force of his will, but his intellect fails him. In the heartbreaking final act, Anthony finally slides into childhood regression and fear. And even when his patriarch crosses the line, or gives in to selfish taunts (“Why would you go to France? They don’t even speak English there.”) Hopkins elicits compassion and his superb work captivates us. He has a most gifted scene partner in another Oscar-winner. Colman as Anne has a delicate balancing act, trying not to debase Anthony while gently steering him back into reality. And though she loses her patience, her affection for him is clear. This makes her conflicted feelings so agonizing. She wants to be there for him, but still wants to lead her own life. This is driven home by the two very different aspects of her “mate”: the affable Gatiss and the forceful and determined Sewell. A bright light of hope is illuminated by the radiant Poots as Laura. She makes us feel as though her nurturing spirit restores the glow to Anthony, who then ruthlessly snuffs out her “flame” by his bombastic insults. As his last act ‘angel”, Williams mixes the right amount of gentle compassion and clinical supervision for Anthony’s final “holiday”.

Filmmaker Florian Zeller directs this adaptation of his celebrated stage play (with screenplay assist from Christopher Hampton) with a gentle guiding hand. He never “sledgehammers” the tale’s tragic elements, but avoids “softsoaping” the emotional conflicts. He’s unafraid to show Anthony’s verbal nastiness, as his pride runs roughshod over those that help, especially Anne. And without showy camera tricks or effects, Zeller conveys that disorientation, as we, along with Anthony, have the “rug pulled out from under us” as recognized faces reveal a new identity or agenda. He’s a proud lion who is finally faced with the idea of being in a cage made by his mind. No matter how he claws and roars, these bars don’t budge. Sure, we can almost feel its stage origins, as the brunt of the action happens in the apartment living room and kitchen, but Zeller never makes the film claustrophobic. The story glides and soars on the wings of the gifted ensemble. This is indeed one tough trek, one that many of us will be part of someday if not now, but thanks to that cast and a sensitive script, THE FATHER is an emotional journey worth taking.

3 Out of 4

THE FATHER opens in select theatres everywhere on Friday March 12, 2021