The Father – ★★★★

The 2020 psychological drama film The Father written and directed by French director Florian Zeller is now screening in cinemas. The film is about an aging man called Anthony played by Anthony Hopkins (Silence of the Lambs, 1991) who is suffering more and more from dementia and his daughter Anne who tries to find help for him. It uses repetition of moments and constant interchanging of actors excellently to let the viewer experience the effects of this terrible disease from Anthony’s perspective.

Anthony Hopkins’ performance is brilliant and keeps your attention throughout the film with lots of details that can be noticed in his mesmerizing face. Olivia Colman (The Favourite, 2018) also delivers as the heartbroken daughter, who tries all she can to find a solution for her father. The beautiful interior design and set decoration of the film is also worth mentioning. The final moment seems a bit underwhelming and doesn’t lead the film to true greatness but it is still worth its time and serves as an important work to better understand dementia.