I am going to be discussing the tragic event that sets FATHER in motion, so if you don’t want to know what happens until you see the film (it is worth your time), then move on.
This is a portrait of a loving father who makes a mistake
that results in a terrible tragedy.
It’s been a while since I saw FATHER and I am still mulling
what I think of the film. While the cast
is good, and many of the scenes feel like we are watching moments pulled from
life, there is something about the presentation that makes it feel less than
real.
The opening scenes feel like we are heading to tragedy, and
then once the father and daughter get into the car we know it’s not going to
end well. Because there is this sense of dread hanging over the proceedings,
and because the film is constantly referencing the high temperature of the day
we are very aware of what is happening and how it plays out it doesn’t
completely feel right. It didn’t feel like an honest accident and felt more
like it was something that the filmmakers did to kick the story into motion. I
didn’t fully accept that he would have forgotten his daughter was in the car. Afterward, as we watch the aftermath play out
it feels a bit too formal in the presentation (say the framing of the images).
While I was intellectually engaged, I wasn’t emotionally.
For me there was always a distance. It’s a shame since the cast is really good
and I would have liked to have been emotionally broken by them.
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