The Father is a drama with an unreliable narrator, which means that the actions and events can sometimes be hard to follow. When an aging man suffering from dementia hears that his daughter is moving to Paris with her new husband, he becomes upset with her because he feels abandoned. But he may have the details mixed up, as she pops back in and out of his life, casting doubt to whether or not his perceptions of reality are true.
Anthony (Anthony Hopkins) is having the time of his life at home in his flat. His one major regret is that his daughter Anne (Olivia Colman) is leaving him to move to Paris with her new husband. Anne sticks around, however, in one form or another, constantly checking up on her beloved father, who she knows is rapidly declining in mental health. Her husband Paul (Rufus Sewell) is more inclined to chat openly with Anthony about the state of his mind.
Things are often happy in Anthony's world as he lives at home, despite his advanced age and a degenerative disease, the exception being a build-up of anger and aggression aimed at Anne for her abandonment.
When caretaker Laura (Imogen Poots) moves in to help Anthony with daily tasks, he's able to confide in her - that is, if she really exists. He starts to realize that many of the details of his life that he takes for granted to be true are simply his perceptions of reality. Sadly, they seem to be slipping away from him and morphing into new possible realities.
Directed by newcomer to the silver screen Florian Zeller, who also penned the play on which the movie is based, there's a simplistic focus on character that really works in The Father. In his debut he has set out to achieve something many modern movies miss: a focus on the small details of character, which truly makes them stand out. He sets his players in motion with a nuance that's perfectly captured on film, which is generally hard for people who have worked in the much louder and heightened live theater.
A few jolting details stick out, which almost feel like scene goofs until one realizes that they're intentionally put there to further the storyline. The scenery of Anthony's flat sometimes shifts slightly between shots and scenes, cast members switch back and forth from different actors, and the color or location of some items shift subtly. It's all in line with Anthony's fading mind, which is struggling to remember the day-to-day details of his life, as well as major events that seem to come back to haunt him.
The biggest drawback is that there's no story to be found in The Father. While everything is technically sound and even quite well done, it's hard to watch such an extent of relatively nothing happening.
In summary, the cast does a fantastic job of digging into the emotional overwhelm of what it's like to both go through and be around dementia. The Father may need a trigger warning for anyone in the throes of it, and it is a little bleak in spite of charming leads. The film is unforgettable in the sense that it has powerful impact, yet it begs the question as to why a movie dealing with the most painful moments of a disease is needed, no matter the level of attention to detail.