At first The Father appears to simply be a tragic drama about Anthony (Anthony Hopkins), an elderly man with dementia who is increasingly losing his autonomy and grip on reality. Proudly independent, a little flirtatious and often delightfully cantankerous, his decline is the source of much stress and grief for his daughter Anne (Olivia Colman) who needs to convince him that he requires professional care because she will no longer be available to regularly visit him. It is a sad and upsetting scenario that many will find painfully familiar and yet in the hands of first-time feature filmmaker Florian Zeller – who also wrote the acclaimed 2012 play the film is based on – it is also at times a puzzle film to be decoded, a menacing thriller and even a dark comedy.
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CINEMA AUTOPSY 