Throughout his brilliant career Anthony Hopkins has given so many memorable performances across the spectrum from drama, thriller and even horror. His latest film, The Father is already getting great buzz of another unsurprising performance and co-stars Olivia Colman, Imogen Poots, Rufus Sewell and Olivia Williams. Could this film live up to the hype or will it fail to remember what it’s trying to deliver?

 

The Father follows Anthony an 80 year old man who is mischievous, living defiantly alone and rejecting the carers that his daughter, Anne, encouragingly introduces. Yet help is also becoming a necessity for Anne; she can’t make daily visits anymore and Anthony’s grip on reality is unravelling. As we experience the ebb and flow of his memory, how much of his own identity and past can Anthony cling to? How does Anne cope as she grieves the loss of her father, while he still lives and breathes before her?

 

It was clear from the trailer what it was going to be dealing with, but the way the story is told is so much more engaging than I had expected. This is an amazing and powerful movie taking a unique approach to the subject in a way I had not seen before. This all rides on the brilliant performance of Anthony Hopkins. It comes as no surprise that he delivered, but this is easily one of the most powerful performances I have seen on screen in years. Could this be the best of his career? Quite possibly. It’s that damn good. He brings so many simple nuances to the dialogue and physicality that speaks volumes to what he is dealing with.

 

The rest of the cast are amazing as well with Olivia Colman carrying the other side of the film. Her eyes show so much love, frustration and pain that it will hit you at the core. She says so much in those quite scenes that gives you insight to the other side of the issue and those that have to care for and deal with the brunt of it. This balance along with her brilliance elevates he already great performance from Hopkins into film perfection.

 

This is one of those films that relies on the settings and the talent of the actors involved and every single one of them shine. The evolution of Hopkins’ journey is perfectly and sadly brought together by a final shot that is beautiful and heartbreaking all at once. This is easily one of my top 10 films of the year and should be seen by everyone.

 

Check out The Father in theaters on March 12th and then on Premium VOD on March 26th from Sony.