Viewers have spoken out about how emotional they became after watching a film which has recently dropped on Netflix called The Father. Catch the trailer here:
A gritty drama starring Olivia Colman, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Mark Gatiss has dropped on Netflix.
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For fans of Still Alice, I Care A Lot and Help, the 2021 drama offers another heart-wrenching but provocative look into how the life of a man changes after he's diagnosed with dementia and how those around him grapple with supporting him.
Viewers of The Father have since flooded to Twitter to open up about just how deeply the film has affected them.
The film's screenplay is based on a trilogy of plays written by Florian Zeller, specifically the 2012 play Le Père.
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The film Floride (2015) was the first screen adaptation of the play.
The official synopsis for The Father reads: "A man refuses all assistance from his daughter as he ages.
"As he tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of his reality."
Viewers have flooded to Twitter in praise of the film after catching it on Netflix.
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One said: "I was already pretty broken but I’ve just watched The Father on Netflix and well now I’m just a massive emotional mess."
"Just watched THE FATHER on NETFLIX starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman. 2 of the best actors on the planet. Incredible !!!" another wrote.
A third commented: "The Father might be the saddest film I've ever seen. A heartbreaking powerhouse of a performance from Anthony Hopkins, who is at his absolute best. Fully recommend that everyone see this movie."
Zeller co-wrote the screenplay for the film alongside Christopher Hampton.
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The Father also marked Zeller's directorial debut.
Hopkins plays the role of Anthony - an elderly man in his eighties - who is battling with his dementia diagnosis and how it is impacting his memory, overall wellbeing and relationships.
Colman takes on the role of Anne - Anthony's daughter - who's identity he gets confused and who's relationship is put to the test, with her desperately trying to look after her father while also maintaining some sort of life of her own.
Rufus Selwell also stars in The Father as Anne's husband.
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The role of Laura - a new caregiver brought in to help look after Anthony - is played by Vivarium's Imogen Poots.
Mark Gatiss features as 'The Man' and Dr Sarai is played by Ayesha Dharker.
The Father was first released on 26 February, 2021.
The film was a hit at the box office, making $433,611 (£359,541)from 865 theatres in the US on its opening weekend.
It has made a worldwide total of $24,816,431 (£20,578,280).
The film has also received gleaming reviews, achieving an impressive audience score of 92 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and tomato-meter of 98 percent.
"Led by stellar performances and artfully helmed by writer-director Florian Zeller, The Father presents a devastatingly empathetic portrayal of dementia," the critics consensus reads.
The review was echoed by the audience. "With Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman delivering some of the best work of their careers, The Father does a heartbreakingly effective job of realistically depicting dementia," it states.
The film won a whole host of awards, including Hopkins winning an Oscar for his portrayal of Anthony. Colman also won Best International Supporting Actress at the AACTA International Awards.
The Father is currently available to watch on Netflix and is included with STARZ on Amazon.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to a Dementia specialist, you can call Dementia UK on 0800 888 6678 or contact them via their email or online forum
Featured Image Credit: Lionsgate/SonyTopics: Netflix, TV and Film, Twitter
