Sir Anthony Hopkins has had an incredible career, Silence of the Lambs, Howard's End, and Transformers: The Last Knight. Ok let's forget about that last one, but still, the man is one of the greatest actors of the cinema age so when I say that The Father features a career-best performance, that's worth taking note of.
A heartbreaking film that was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars (plus netted Hopkins his second gong) and currently sits on a massive 98% Rotten Tomatoes score, The Father is leaving Netflix on July 16th.
The story follows Hopkins' Anthony as an elderly man struggling with Dementia. Having blown what seems like his last chance at independence after seeing off another carer, his daughter (Olivia Colman, herself an Oscar winner too) faces the possibility of having to send him to a care home.
We follow the story from Anthony's unknowingly unreliable perspective. Names and faces change and disappear as the horrible condition takes its toll on Anthony and his daughter's family. A simple premise is elevated by the method of storytelling. Sometimes different actors play the same character and sometimes the same face belongs to two characters. It's an incredibly powerful decision that really hits home the haze that Dementia can cause. Anyone who has cared for a loved one will relate only too well to questions that this film raises.
Hopkins and Colman may dominate the screen time (which makes sense, considering this film is based on a play) and are incredible to behold. Lesser actors with the same source material might struggle to make it work, but we don't need to worry about that. The supporting cast is also stellar with Rufus Sewell, Mark Gatiss, Imogen Poots and Olivia Williams all in fine form.
This isn't a movie to munch popcorn to, but if you can take it and can handle a good cry, then The Father is a must-watch. Catch it on one of the best streaming services while you can.
