The Father

Not so much a film as an Anthony Hopkins performance, which is both good and bad. Hopkins is a solid actor and he does a splendid job here, but it takes away from the impact of the film. The drama never really hit me, I was always just watching Hopkins do his thing, which kept me at a clear distance.

Anthony is suffering from dementia, his memory slowly deteriorating. His daughter comes to visit him and wants a hired help in the house, but Anthony doesn't want to be bothered. But reality becomes fluid and Anthony is quickly losing his grip on what happens around him, making it increasingly difficult for him to put his will forward.

The Father makes for an interesting double bill with Vortex but loses out in just about every way (apart from the runtime). While the technical aspects are fine and the performances are flawless, it felt a little fake and detached. It's not a bad film, I just never cared for the characters the way I was supposed to.