The Father (2020)
How it feels to lose your mind.
Presentation:
Schizophrenia is typically the sexier and more cinematic ailment, but dementia is just plain ugly. There are many films that portray mental illness, but not like this. This may be the most realistic depiction of probably the most tragic disease in my opinion. The way events are edited and the confusion is manifested is empathically convincing. It really gives us a window into what it’s really like to have dementia. It’s heartbreaking because when the mind goes, you not only slowly die but completely erase your identity. Olivia Colman is a powerhouse as always, though Anthony Hopkins is truly Oscar worthy. This is one of the most impressive acting displays - it truly feels like he isn’t acting, making it all the more sad. The image quality is modern and lighting can be overly artificial, but that’s not enough to distract from one of the most visceral displays of mental illness.
Conclusion:
This could quite possibly be an essential film people in the medical industry need to watch. It’s heartbreaking and guilt inducing because I’m pretty sure most of us have been less than patient with aging people. We’ve seen quite a few schizophrenic films, but none that distort the fabric of reality so intuitively. The warped perspective and tragic loss of grip on reality is so well executed it forces us to sympathize. This film is what Amour was supposed to be except it’s more easily digested and less contemplative. One of the more special films of the 2020s.
Recommendations
How it feels to lose your mind.