The Father

Now we tell the tale of The Father. This Oscar nominee was adapted by Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton from Zeller's play. Zeller also directed it. Let's see why it's good.

Anthony Hopkins is Anthony, an 80-year-old man living in London. He prefers living alone while his daughter, Anne (Olivia Colman), prefers he have a caretaker. One day, she tells him she's moving to Paris to be with her new boyfriend. Anthony's not happy. He then sees a guy, Paul (Mark Gattis) in his flat, who says it's his and Anne's flat. Anne (Olivia Williams) is perplexed by his sudden behavior. She's not the only one perplexed.

Anthony is slowly succumbing to dementia. His perception of reality keeps changing; that's why, for instance, Anne appears as two different actresses. Anne finds Anthony a caretaker he likes, Laura (Imogen Poots). But she slowly realizes that her father might need a better place. 

The Oscar-nominated Editing does a good job with portraying Anthony's psyche.  The film's jumbled narrative is as confusing to us as is to Anthony. Anne wants to move to Paris and she doesn't; she's married to Paul and she's not; she has chicken for dinner and you get the point. Its oddest moment comes when Anne thinks about killing her father. Out of nowhere. 

The editing is helped by the also Oscar-nominated Production Design. The film is mostly confined to the flat, whether it's Anne or Anthony's. It's an imposing place which subtly changes from scene to scene. You might not notice anything amiss until Anthony does. But look for items suddenly shifting around.

Now for the acting. Hopkins is fun to watch when he's showing off tap dancing for Laura. He loses his charm when he yells at her, then gains sympathy when he realizes something's off. His mood swings are understandable given his cracking psyche. His performance is engaging all the way through. Anne, whether played by Olivia Colman or Williams, tries to maintain composure in the face of adversity. But she soon realizes what needs to be done. And no, it's not death. 

The Father is a strong stage-to-screen rendition. It has two good leads and a perfectly jumbled narrative. Don't despair if you're confused; now you'll know how its star feels. Its resolution is sad, but a bit hopeful. It'll keep your attention for 97 minutes. Find it on your favorite streaming service or see it in a safe theater near you.