Anthony is 80, mischievous, living defiantly alone and rejecting the carers that his daughter, Anne, encouragingly introduces. Yet help is also becoming a necessity for Anne; she can’t make daily visits anymore and Anthony’s grip on reality is unravelling. As we experience the ebb and flow of his memory, how much of his own identity and past can Anthony cling to? How does Anne cope as she grieves the loss of her father, while he still lives and breathes before her?
THE FATHER warmly embraces real life, through loving reflection upon the vibrant human condition; heart-breaking and uncompromisingly poignant – a movie that nestles in the truth of our own lives.
Directed by French Writer and Director Florian Zeller, the screenplay is based on his own theatrical play by the same title.
STARRING:Anthony Hopkins, Olivia Colman, Mark Gatiss, Rufus Sewell, Imogen Poots, Olivia Williams
REVIEWS:“Anthony Hopkins is stunning. Florian Zeller makes his auspicious debut as a feature-film director.”
– Owen Gleiberman, VARIETY
“Sharp and teasingly diabolical. A stupendous performance from Anthony Hopkins.”
– Todd McCarthy, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
“Olivia Colman gives an affecting and tender performance.”
– Kevin Fallon, DAILY BEAST
“Entrancingly different – brought to life by a handful of brilliant performances and some very impressive sleight-of-hand.”
– David Ehrlich, INDIEWIRE
“Anthony Hopkins is unforgettable. A towering piece of acting that is as precise and exacting as it is enveloping.”
– Richard Lawson, VANITY FAIR
“Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman are astonishing.”
– Donny Sheldon, AWARDS WATCH
“A powerful piece of storytelling.”
– Brian Tallerico, ROGEREBERT.COM
Dementia is defined as a syndrome associated with the decline of brain function; Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia are the most common types, but there are others, including Lewy Body Dementia and Frontotemporal dementia. Despite statistics from the World Health Organisation stating that more than 5% of the global population over the age of 60 have some form of dementia, making it a fairly common disease, it is a condition that has a considerable stigma attached. And it often feels as though – perhaps out of our fear around the disease – we still don’t quite know how to centre patients in the conversations around, and depictions of, dementia. Florian Zeller’s The Father, a film about a father and daughter navigating their difficult relationship as he lives with dementia, aims to change this by giving us a real insight into what it’s like to live with the illness, as well as how difficult it is to care for someone with it.
Find out more about dementia and useful resourses for those with the disease, their families and friends, https://www.dementia.org/
