In many ways, Father is like two other films. The first is a Butterfly and a suit, showing the life of an almost completely paralyzed man through his eyes. The second is Motyl - Still Alice (don't ask why such an idiotic title, in the original there is no insect) about the developing Alzheimer's disease in a still young woman, with the exquisite and deeply moving role of Julianne Moore. My father may not be as dramatic and inventive, and certainly more intimate and static, as befits an adaptation of a stage play, but he carries a very similar emotional load and allows you to really experience some part of the problem in person. While, for example, in Still Alice the feeling of being lost was intensified by photos taken with a minimum depth of field, which made the whole world around the title character blurry and indistinct, in Father the effect of confusion and incoherence was achieved with excellent editing. The whole action takes place almost in one place and in a very narrow group of people, and each subsequent scene, seemingly continuing the thread started earlier, and in fact completely unrelated to it, destroys the consistency and turns the sequence of events inside out. The feeling of being lost and disoriented was created in a very suggestive way and I think they reflect the patient's state of mind well.
Of course, it is impossible not to mention the characters of this drama. Sir Anthony played exorbitantly, it is beyond doubt, although I will not say that he had to try hard somehow. This role is extremely natural, subdued (but certainly not lazy or sluggish) and probably quite close to the actor's heart. It is no coincidence that the hero bears his name and even shares his date of birth with him. Hopkins never goes below a certain level, but the father's role has clearly hit that perfect point, bringing him even a tad closer to perfection. He had received the knight statuette fully deservedly, and no sensible person should be uttering foolishness about someone robbing a Boseman.
But since there is a father, there should be a daughter as well. Hopkins stole the show a bit, but Supporting Role nominee Olivia Colman is just as fantastic as her older friend. How to reconcile love for the father with despair and helplessness in the face of the inevitable disintegration of the closest person's humanity? What if the father tries to cling to the remnants of his life while poisoning the everyday life of the rest of the family? How to choose between a parent and your loved ones, and does anyone have the right to judge this choice? Is it finally possible to condemn the fantasies of making the final act of grace with a down pillow? Colman had to show the whole spectrum of emotions and she did it brilliantly. No matter if she smiles kindly, cries in helpless anger, or apologizes without words for her actions, she is always genuine and simply great. In her case, gestures, looks and grimaces often say more than words.
Is Father a movie without flaws then? No, but these are not serious shortcomings. The first thing that can be accused of him is the theatricality. It will not be a problem for everyone, for example, I like such intimate productions, but it was not possible to hide the pedigree of this story. The atmosphere on the screen is unreal, incredibly static, sterile and detached from the rest of the world - like on the stage of a theater. However, this is a very subjective matter. The more serious problem for me was the fact that although absolutely outstanding actors met in front of the camera, they practically did not have the opportunity to play with each other. Here, there were requests for more interaction between the characters, while almost all conversations were shown in the form of monologues to the camera and alternating showing of individual characters. I do not know if there was a lack of courage and slack, or maybe it was just the idea, but I felt a growing hunger, because it was possible to increase the tension in the dialogues even more, if only the actors were allowed to play more…. If it weren't for that, I would certainly add a little more to the assessment.
I don't know if Father was the best movie of last year. Probably not. But I do know that it touched me deeply and left me in long silence after the final credits. It is certainly a real acting gem and a treat for cinema lovers. Finally, it is a unique vivisection of a man whose mind is dying of old age. Poignant and sad, but looking fair and realistic. Certainly the film is incomparably better than the unfortunate Nomadland.
