The Father
What is it like to live with dementia? It is what French director Florian Zeller depicts in The Father, his first feature film, an adaptation of his very successful play Le Père. Zeller tells the story through the eyes of the person actually experiencing this, making the emotional chaos, continuing confusion and the loss of one's sense of reality very tangible. A convincing, nuanced drama heavily indebted to the stellar performance by lead actors Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman.
On the accusation of theft, retired engineer Anthony (Hopkins) has sent away a carer once again. His daughter Anne (Colman) visits him in his London apartment for a serious talk. "I don't need anyone!" he insists, even while realizing that things are very wrong. He is confused about the day of the week, he suddenly no longer recognizes people. And is he actually at home? As his dementia takes hold, Anthony to his horror inevitably starts losing his grip on reality.