It’s a rare treat when you discover a film that is so outstanding that it scores a rating of 100 per cent.
The Father not only features acclaimed actor Anthony Hopkins in perhaps his finest role, but his co-star is Academy Award winner Olivia Coleman at her best.
The Father takes you inside the shaky mind of an elderly man, Anthony, (Hopkins) fighting off the inexorable advance of dementia.
His daughter Anne (Colman) is his only relative, struggling to care for her charming but often frustrating father while finding some space to live her own life.
French director Florian Zeller adapted the script from his own play with his co-writer Christopher Hampton.
Hopkins will be 83 this month but shows no signs of slowing down.
He won an Oscar 30 years ago for his chilling performance in The Silence of the Lambs and is tipped to win another for The Father.
His portrays brilliantly the bewilderment – and the paranoia – of a man losing his grip on reality.
“I don’t know what she’s cooking up against me, but she’s cooking up something,” he insists.
He is outraged when his daughter tries to make him realise that he can no longer manage to live alone in his London flat.
“I am not leaving my flat! I am not leaving my flat!” he shouts. Then, uncertainly, “This is my flat, isn’t it?”
With shifting timelines and even character changes, director Zeller makes the audience experience Anthony’s uncertainty and confusion.
This is a film not to be missed.
The Father will screen at UWA’s Somerville Auditorium from Monday, December 14 to Sunday, December 20.
Watch the Trailer…
