“The Father”: the superb performance of Anthony Hopkins that earned him his second Oscar

“El Padre” is, above all, a love story between a father in the twilight of his independent life and his daughter. The film tells the story of Anthony (Anthony Hopkins) a man who is gradually losing consciousness of his reality due to Alzheimer’s and increasingly forgetting everything and everyone around him. His character, increasingly dry and irritating, causes the last caregiver to resign making his daughter Anne (Olivia Colman) the one who has to take care of him.

But Anne, Overwhelmed by the situation and scared of losing her life in the care of her father, she seeks to find a solution as soon as she soon plans to move to Paris with the love of her life and has to find someone to take care of him, finding finally to Lucy (Evie Wray).

The plot shows a situation that thousands of families and people go through daily. The extraordinary performances of Hopkins and Colman faithfully express, and in such a clear way, that regret at seeing the beloved family member fight against the inevitable decline, mixing the nostalgia for what was with the fear of what is and the uncertainty of what will be..

Through subtle changes to his surroundings, changing faces and intersecting stories, Anthony’s world is seen to change in his own mind. The task of making this a work of performance art was not an easy one, but Hopkins and Colman made it possible.

The British actor’s performance is both moving and heartbreaking, and his ability to capture the character’s confusion and memory loss is dazzling. Hopkins is able to take the viewer through endless emotions as Anthony struggles to maintain his identity and his sense of reality. Colman’s performance is also remarkable, as it shows Anne’s frustration and pain as she tries to balance her family and professional responsibilities.

The sad and pious looks of Anne they come together and contrast with the lost eyes of his father, who cannot help but keep remembering the life he had and believes he continues to have. The weary walk of both seems to be the only common thread between those drifting souls trying to figure out this new life.

The story shows, neither more nor less, how this new present affects both the life of the person affected and those who surround them, care for them and love them.

The 2020 film is an adaptation of Florian Zeller to his own successful stage play, something that definitely helped, along with the huge performances, that the plot is told clearly, without exaggerations or cheap shots.

Zeller achieved a film with a unique and puzzling structure. The direction was more than effective in creating a tense and emotional atmosphere, perfectly accompanied by the music.

“The Father” is a powerful and impactful film that greatly benefits from the performances of its leads and the good work of the director. It is a moving reflection on dementia, family, and the struggle to maintain identity in difficult times. The film is an emotional experience that will stay with the viewer long after it is over.

The series sheet

• Original title: The Father
• Genre: Drama
• Duration: 1h 37m
• Creator: Florian Zeller
• Country of origin: USA
• Year: 2020
• Platform: Netflix.

Anthony Hopkins made history with his second Oscar

The British actor, who began his career in 1968 and is about to reach one hundred films (he has 98)became in 2021 the longest-lived actor to win an Oscar.

At the age of 84, Anthony Hopkins received his second Academy statuette. The first had been in 1991 after his also extraordinary leading role in The Silence of the Innocents, that film with Jodie Foster in which he played a serial killer.

The 93rd edition of the Oscars was not just another ceremony for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since the coronavirus pandemic postponed the award ceremony, which was postponed for two months and thus extended the period for choosing the candidates until February 28. .

So things, Anthony Hopkins was nominated for Best Actor in 2021 alongside Chadwick Boseman (The Mother of Blues), Gary Oldman (Mank), Steven Yeun (Minari) and Riz Ahmed (The Sound of Metal).

Hopkins was the only one of the nominees who did not go to the ceremony that time and his second statuette was presented by Joaquin Phoenix.

A year later, the Welsh actor received the Oscar and sent a thank you video in which he remembered Chadwick Boseman, the actor who died in 2020 and who had shared a Best Actor nomination with him.

From that first Oscar to this last one, Hopkins participated in four other Best Actor nominations. In 1993 for “What remains of the day”, in 1995 when he played Nixon; two years later for “Friendship” and he was chosen again in 2019 for his work in the film “Los dos Papas”.