The highly anticipated motion picture, THE FATHER, starring Anthony Hopkins, which was recently nominated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for six Oscar Awards , six BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) nominations and two Screen Actors Guild (SAG) nominations, opens in local cinemas nationwide today, 26 March.
This is a movie that will resonate with many as it gets to the heart of someone living with dementia. Based on an acclaimed, award-winning play, Le Père, it starts out as a simple drama hinged on a familiar dynamic – a middle-aged daughter (Olivia Colman) is losing patience with her elderly father, a mischievous and highly independent man, whose grip on reality is fading but who refuses to allow a carer to look after him. She is moving away and, to ensure her father’s safety in her absence, she must find someone who will take care of him. As he – in the early stages of dementia – tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind, and even the fabric of his reality.
The story is deliberately told through the eyes of Anthony, the elderly father, whose life has become a source of ever-disorienting confusion, with the characters and locations constantly shifting – resulting in the viewer feeling as confused as Anthony is. It is disorienting and surreal, but it speaks volumes to living with dementia.
Award-winning French playwright, Florian Zeller makes his debut as film director, he was also responsible for the original play. He co-wrote the screenplay with his long-time collaborator and translator Christopher Hampton. The movie celebrates the unbreakable bond between parent and child and is an accurate yet somewhat unsettling account of what it is like to love someone with dementia.
The film, locally distributed by Filmfinity Pty (Ltd.), has already won the coveted Audience Award at the San Sebastian Film Festival in 2020.
The winners of the 93rd annual Academy Awards will be announced on 25 April and will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide.
Watch the trailer right here :
