The Father

Florian Zeller

Anthony Hopkins delivers the performance of his life as a father who struggles with dementia. His daughter Anne struggles with the care for her father that becomes more and more intense. She wants to help him and searches for a nurse, but he rejects her efforts.

In his directorial debut Florian Zeller explores the confusing experiences of someone suffering from dementia. Few films dare to delve as deep into the chaotic and estranging effects of this disease as The Father does. The highly praised actors make it an impressive film, but it is taken to an even higher level by the geniusly disorienting design of the continuously changing rooms. The little changes within the flat of the father show his increasing loss of knowing what is real and what is not. It makes for an intense cinematic experience that deservedly was said to be one of the best of last year.

Relatable for anyone who has had to deal with (grand) parents or other friends or loved ones who slowly lost their sense of reality. But apart from that it also is a film that emphasises how important good care is, both for the people suffering from dementia as well as their caregivers. It will be evident that this is a movie that will leave no one untouched.

Credits

Director
Florian Zeller
Producer
Philippe Carcassonne, Jean-Louis Livi, David Parfitt, Simon Friend
Year
2020
Country of production
United Kingdom, France
Type
Fiction
Duration
97 minutes
Spoken language
English
Subtitles
NL
Dutch distributor
Cinéart