Here is another intense movie up for a few Academy Awards. “The Father” is a serious and disquieting movie. Outstanding performances from Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman (both previous Oscar winners) give this movie a prestigious and rather regal look. The story takes place mainly in the mind of Hopkins, who plays a man in the final stages of dementia. He lives with his daughter (Olivia Colman). Or does he? You will be just as confused as Hopkin’s character is as you watch him try to figure out what is going on in his life. Both actors give heartbreaking tour-de-force performances which deservedly have garnered them award nominations. The performers, as well as the writer and director, do an outstanding job of bringing us into this world as active observers. You will really empathize with the characters as they struggle to find their way through the illusions and confusions many have faced, and will deal with in the course of aging. It will really make you think about this aspect of what many families must deal with while facing the end of life. If you want to see two acting greats at the top of their game, this is a movie not to miss.
Westworld
Wow! What a great show. If you haven’t had a chance to watch this fascinating HBO series starring Anthony Hopkins, Jeffrey Wright, Thandie Newton, Evan Rachel Wood and Ed Harris, you are missing out. The series is based on the 1973 sci-fi movie thriller that starred Yul Brenner as a robot gone rogue. This reboot builds off of that premise and runs with it. Imagine an adult theme park for rich vacationers manned by automatons who interact with you as if they are human. Would you like to pretend to be a gunslinger, gambler, confederate soldier? What about school marm, madame or a Calamity Jane type? Westworld caters to the basest and darkest sides of humanity. You can kill (robots) with impunity while at the same time, they can not harm you……or can they? There is so much to think about after every episode. The first season ended over a week ago and I am still pondering the human and moral implications of what has happened so far. I eagerly await season two!