Our film for discussion in May was “the Father”, the story of Anthony struggling to come to terms with his deteriorating mental health.  He refuses all assistance from his daughter, Anne, 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.  It stars Anthony Hopkins as Anthony and Olivia Colman as Anne, who both deliver excellent performances.  Anthony Hopkins was awarded the Academy Award for his performance and between them they were nominated and won a number of other awards.

This could not be considered an enjoyable film, but it is powerful and confronting. It depicts well the frustration of both a sufferer of dementia and a family member struggling to come to terms with the “loss” a loved family member.  It can be confusing as there are scenes in current time as well as Anthony reliving versions of events from the past. 

The setting is all indoors, which perhaps reflects Anthony’s mental state.  While based on a stage play that would have had limited opportunities for more scenes, many films based on plays extend the cinematography to widen the settings.  For this film it was appropriate to keep the setting so simple.

For Anthony, the deterioration is seen with his body language as he becomes a little more stooped, and his clothing moves from well-dressed to constantly in pyjamas.  There was just a touch of humour, with Anthony constantly losing his watch, but even this was a frustration for Anne.

This is a film that shows real life for a family going through changes in an aging family member.  Overall, we gave it a rating of 4.5 out of 5.

At our June class we will be discussing “Six Minutes to Midnight” (trailer below), which screened at BPACC from 20 May.  

​The things we will watch for in viewing the film include:

• Did you enjoy the film?  What in particular did you like?
• Was there anything that you did not like?
• What did you think about the cinematography?
• What did you think of the performances?  Any strong performances that stand out?  Any weak performances that spoilt the film?
• Overall rating out of 5.

Joy Shirley

​This month we discussed a range of films recently screened at BPACC.  One member who had not been able to attend BPACC spoke about a film seen on television.

High Ground: Inspired by history this tells of the treatment of aboriginal people in the 1930s.  Very confronting, particularly as it shows the dreadful treatment of aboriginal people in recent times.  Rated as 4-4.5/5.
The Nest: An entrepreneur moves his American family to England, espousing his status and wealth as much better than reality.  It was a dark story with cinematography to match but came across as a bit disjointed and the end was not quite clear.  Rated as 2/5.
Long Story Short: A comedy around a newly married man whose life moved forward a year every time he woke up.  It was easy watching, with a message around the importance of family and friends rather than money and time.  Rated as 3/5.
Wild Mountain Thyme: The story of two young people in Ireland, who eventually come together.  It is a light and gentle film.  The music was excellent, but not enough of the rolling Irish hills included in the cinematography.  Rated as 3/5.
Minari: The story of a Korean family who move to Arkansas in the 1980s.  A story of determination and emotion with some excellent performances.  Rated as 4/5.
Peter Rabbit 2: An animated film as a sequel to the earlier “Peter Rabbit” release.  Only one class member saw this film and thoroughly enjoyed it – felt it was better than the original.  Rated as 4.5/5.
Raya and the Last Dragon: In a re-imagined world, a young warrior sets off to find the last dragon to help save her father and world from a dark mass that turns everything to stone.  It has a great message about greed and trust, as well as providing colour and action to appeal to younger audiences.  Rated as 4/5.
Nomadland: Based on a book about a woman embarking on a journey in a converted van, this includes mainly real people who have various reasons for living a nomadic life.  We were introduced to some interesting characters, with some great comments.  “I am houseless, not homeless”, “things remembered will never die”.  Rated as 3.5/5.

At our May class we will be discussing “The Father”, which is screening at BPACC from 6 May.

​The things we will watch for in viewing the film include:

• Did you enjoy the film?  What in particular did you like?
• Was there anything that you did not like?
• What did you think about the cinematography?
• What did you think of the performances?  Any strong performances that stand out?  Any weak performances that spoilt the film?
• Overall rating out of 5.

Joy Shirley