{"id":10101,"date":"2021-03-11T21:08:26","date_gmt":"2021-03-11T21:08:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/moviesandshakers.com\/staging\/4428\/?p=10101"},"modified":"2021-03-13T18:21:27","modified_gmt":"2021-03-13T18:21:27","slug":"the-father","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moviesandshakers.com\/staging\/4428\/the-father\/","title":{"rendered":"The Father"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lC7lEGMLX0E&t=4s” el_width=”60″ align=”center” css_animation=”fadeInUp”][vc_column_text]Originally posted December 28th, 2020.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Anthony Hopkins is beyond extraordinary, switching attitude on a dime as a senior with dementia, putting his daughter, Anne (Olivia Colman) through her paces. Olivia Colman displays an incredible amount of restraint as the two play off each other dealing with his erratic confusion. When you see Hopkins travel this highly emotional journey, you will understand why he was hand-picked by Zeller. Hopkins gives a truly sensitive characterization of a man losing his grip on reality, and the toll it takes on those closest to him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

French playwright, Florian Zeller, revealed to us in Q & A at Sundance 2020 that he even named his character Anthony and used Hopkins\u2019 real birthday in the screenplay as he dreamed the impossible dream of the actor accepting the role. This is Zeller\u2019s first film, and not in his native language. It\u2019s based on his successful play of the same name. Inspiration for the play came from seeing someone who helped raise him become confused, forgetful and disoriented when he was just 15 years-old. It made an impression.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Zeller was struck by strong reactions he received as the play was translated and performed in several languages in as many countries. That\u2019s when he realized the subject was universal and decided to work with his writing partner and translator, Christopher Hampton, to make it into a film. It\u2019s purposely structured as a puzzle or labyrinth, with multiple layers that have to be peeled back slowly to unravel what\u2019s really going on.[\/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”10111″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css_animation=”fadeInUp”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”10110″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css_animation=”fadeInUp”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”10115″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css_animation=”fadeInUp”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]Zeller purposely tells what appears to be happening from inside Anthony\u2019s head as he navigates at this stage of life. Anthony Hopkins goes through dream sequences where he doesn\u2019t recognize those closest to him. The actor shows agitation and sometimes fury whenever anyone tries to tell him what to do or if they tell him he\u2019s wrong. Blank faces or corrections only upset Anthony more. And the look on Hopkins\u2019 face when he takes a pregnant pause before showing utter befuddlement is palpable.<\/p>\n

You can almost see Olivia Colman as Anne bite through her lip trying to keep Anthony from railing at her for any reason. She is so sweet and patient at times, and so downtrodden about the situation at others. Her life is not her own, having to stop whatever she\u2019s doing to come when he calls or check when he doesn\u2019t. And he\u2019s in complete denial of his condition, charming as well.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The scenes where Anne has tried to hire yet another care giver after he\u2019s thrown a parade of others out, shows just how cute he can be, until he faces reality. Imogen Poots, as that adorable new caregiver, Laura, tries to keep Anthony in line. He tap dances for her, which daughter Anne says she\u2019s never seen before. But when she urges him to get dressed or take pills, he rebels. Hopkins ability to change moods abruptly is jarring. He\u2019s downright frightening.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Cinematographer, Ben Smithard, Production Designer Peter Francis and Editor Yorgos Lamprinos are to be commended for using the rooms in the various apartments or flats to not only keep Anthony confused, but us as well. That\u2019s the point. The kitchens are similar, but not the same. They are decorated differently. The hallways are similar, too, and when Anthony opens what he thinks is the entrance to his bedroom, it\u2019s not! They\u2019ve created a diversion that makes you question Anthony\u2019s whereabouts.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”10116″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css_animation=”fadeInUp”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”9982″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css_animation=”fadeInUp”][\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1\/3″][vc_single_image image=”10105″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css_animation=”fadeInUp”][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_column_text]But Zeller adds a comedic thread using Anthony\u2019s often missing watch. Is it really missing or did he put it somewhere and forget where he put it. He even accuses others of stealing it. It\u2019s a device Zeller uses to lighten the mood here and there, which is always a problem for poor Anne. The other running story is that of Anne\u2019s sister, Nina. She\u2019s missing at the beginning of the film, but Anthony still thinks she\u2019s around. He constantly punishes Anne with comparisons.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is a very powerful film following the journey of a man who is slowly losing his grip on reality and acting out against his loved ones. It\u2019s also about isolation, which many are becoming more familiar with as the months pass during a pandemic in winter. Hopkins and Colman are sure to garner accolades for their performances exposing dementia in detail from Writer\/Director Florian Zeller\u2019s mind-bending, personal, point of view.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sony Pictures Classics \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>1 hour 37 minutes\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>PG-13<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

In select theaters December 2020. Wide release February 26th, 2021<\/strong><\/em>[\/vc_column_text][vc_video link=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=4TZb7YfK-JI” el_width=”80″ align=”center” css_animation=”fadeInUp”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section]\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lC7lEGMLX0E&t=4s” el_width=”60″ align=”center” css_animation=”fadeInUp”][vc_column_text]Originally posted December 28th, 2020.\u00a0 Anthony Hopkins is beyond extraordinary, switching attitude on a dime as a senior with dementia, putting his daughter, Anne (Olivia Colman) through her paces. Olivia Colman displays an incredible amount of restraint as the two play off each other dealing with his erratic confusion. When you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10117,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-review"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/moviesandshakers.com\/staging\/4428\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/moviesandshakers.com\/staging\/4428\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/moviesandshakers.com\/staging\/4428\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moviesandshakers.com\/staging\/4428\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moviesandshakers.com\/staging\/4428\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10101"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/moviesandshakers.com\/staging\/4428\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10101\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10701,"href":"https:\/\/moviesandshakers.com\/staging\/4428\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10101\/revisions\/10701"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moviesandshakers.com\/staging\/4428\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10117"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/moviesandshakers.com\/staging\/4428\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moviesandshakers.com\/staging\/4428\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/moviesandshakers.com\/staging\/4428\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}