"The Father"
Watching “The Father,” I was reminded of another “tour-de-acting-force” from a British actor that I covered a few columns back. The late actor John Hurt portrayed a terminally ill musician with fading gusto in “That Good Night.” Hurt’s character begrudgingly made amends with his estranged family, as his knew his time was short. With “The Father,” we have a similar setup as the overly talented actor Anthony Hopkins plays a man (named Anthony) lost to the throes of dementia. His remaining family members try their hardest to balance his mental outbursts against finding strides that resemble a somewhat normal life. Both characters in both films are fading fast as they try to remember the good times and the people around them.
The film is actually based on French playwright Florian Zeller’s own hit, “Le Père.” Zeller himself serves as both a first time director here and as the screenwriter as well. His cast of characters is small, but quite powerful in their acting prowess. British actress Olivia Colman has perhaps the most thankless job in the entire film, portraying Anthony’s transient daughter Anne. Early in the film she brings along her boyfriend, Paul, who is played by actor Rufus Sewell.
Hopkins’ acting here is world class, as his portrayal of a dementia patient is what earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor at the 2021 Oscars. “The Father” is a most real and most heartbreaking film in its portrayal of dementia patients with a sometimes grim, but unfiltered, camera lens.
"Sound of Metal"
There’s indeed a cruel fate in losing ones livelihood over physical impairments. In “Sound of Metal,” we meet the drummer of a heavy metal band named Rueben, who is slowly losing his hearing with a warning that it may go away entirely one day. Such a rotten diagnosis reminds me of drummer Rick Allen for the band Def Leopard. He lost his whole arm in a car crash just as the band was reaching the pinnacle of its stardom. Did it stop him? No; instead Allen relied on a custom drum kit to keep on rocking and is still with the band as its drummer. But in the film, Rueben needs expensive ear implant surgery to possibly restore his hearing. Hearing loss isn’t his only demon to battle, as Rueben also is a recovering addict. Seeking help and shelter with his longtime girlfriend, Lou, played here with gritty purpose by actress Olivia Cooke, Rueben begins to rationalize what’s evolving in his ever changing and newfound world.
“Sound of Metal” was nominated for half a dozen Academy Awards and won two for Best Editing and Best Sound. Sound is what this film is really all about, delving into what we humans hear, try to hear, and ultimately end up hearing. Director Darius Marder is able to completely do away with any stigmas attached to disabilities. Actor Riz Ahmed absolutely shines here in the lead role of Rueben, and he is certainly an actor to keep an eye on in the future when it comes to powerful, award worthy roles.
Watching “The Father,” I was reminded of another “tour-de-acting-force” from a British actor that I covered a few columns back. The late actor John Hurt portrayed a terminally ill musician with fading gusto in “That Good Night.” Hurt’s character begrudgingly made amends with his estranged family, as his knew his time was short. With “The Father,” we have a similar setup as the overly talented actor Anthony Hopkins plays a man (named Anthony) lost to the throes of dementia. His remaining family members try their hardest to balance his mental outbursts against finding strides that resemble a somewhat normal life. Both characters in both films are fading fast as they try to remember the good times and the people around them.
The film is actually based on French playwright Florian Zeller’s own hit, “Le Père.” Zeller himself serves as both a first time director here and as the screenwriter as well. His cast of characters is small, but quite powerful in their acting prowess. British actress Olivia Colman has perhaps the most thankless job in the entire film, portraying Anthony’s transient daughter Anne. Early in the film she brings along her boyfriend, Paul, who is played by actor Rufus Sewell.
Hopkins’ acting here is world class, as his portrayal of a dementia patient is what earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor at the 2021 Oscars. “The Father” is a most real and most heartbreaking film in its portrayal of dementia patients with a sometimes grim, but unfiltered, camera lens.
"Sound of Metal"
There’s indeed a cruel fate in losing ones livelihood over physical impairments. In “Sound of Metal,” we meet the drummer of a heavy metal band named Rueben, who is slowly losing his hearing with a warning that it may go away entirely one day. Such a rotten diagnosis reminds me of drummer Rick Allen for the band Def Leopard. He lost his whole arm in a car crash just as the band was reaching the pinnacle of its stardom. Did it stop him? No; instead Allen relied on a custom drum kit to keep on rocking and is still with the band as its drummer. But in the film, Rueben needs expensive ear implant surgery to possibly restore his hearing. Hearing loss isn’t his only demon to battle, as Rueben also is a recovering addict. Seeking help and shelter with his longtime girlfriend, Lou, played here with gritty purpose by actress Olivia Cooke, Rueben begins to rationalize what’s evolving in his ever changing and newfound world.
“Sound of Metal” was nominated for half a dozen Academy Awards and won two for Best Editing and Best Sound. Sound is what this film is really all about, delving into what we humans hear, try to hear, and ultimately end up hearing. Director Darius Marder is able to completely do away with any stigmas attached to disabilities. Actor Riz Ahmed absolutely shines here in the lead role of Rueben, and he is certainly an actor to keep an eye on in the future when it comes to powerful, award worthy roles.
RSS Feed