Anthony Hopkins' Filmography about Aging

The Oscars are here again, but chances are it will not have a strong viewership, partly because of the effects of the pandemic. However, I made it a point of seeing "The Father" at a local cinema, on a discount Tuesday no less.

You can now rent it for $19.99 on Amazon Prime video. It has six Academy Awards nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins), and Best Supporting Actress (Olivia Colman), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and Best Production Design.  It has a Certified Fresh score of 98% on Rotten Tomatoes.

This is the synopsis from Cinemaholic: "The Father’ is a drama film that tells a heart-touching tale of a man battling with dementia and slowly losing his grasp on reality as his daughter helplessly watches on. Anthony Hopkins delivers a spellbinding performance in the film directed and co-written by Florian Zeller. It is based on the French play ‘Le Père,’ also written by Zeller, and is a compelling, thought-provoking, and emotionally moving film that gracefully deals with the subjects of aging and mortality. The film has been lauded by critics for its performances and depiction of dementia..."

The impact of this film comes from you as the viewer seeing what happens in the eyes of the main character, Anthony. You encounter a confusing jumble of changing faces, locations, and time frames that burdens Anthony as his mental state worsens as a result of his dementia. You'd think that the ending would be depressing, but the humanity seen among his caretakers shines above the occasional cruelty, and you leave (at least I did) with the impression that you benefited from this truthful exposition.

Anthony Hopkins has another film related to aging: "The World's Fastest Indian" from 2005 where he portrays a version of the real-life story of speed motorcycle racer Burt Munro. The 68-year-old Munro works to optimize his 1920 Indian Scout motorcycle at his home in New Zealand, but needs to transport it and himself to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah to make an official time trial. As a 60-year-old facing multiple health challenges including angina worries those who know him but he cheerful engages everyone he encounters in this seemingly impossible quest. He reflects on mortality, for instance a brother who died from a tree falling on him, and emphasizes the need for purpose in life that others find infectious, even the local Kiwi motorcycle gang who raise money for him to make his trip to America to see his dream to fruition.

"Oh, the reason and not the need...." This 2018 adaptation of Shakespeare' King Lear is available free on Amazon Prime Video.

Hopkins as Lear portrays a character who feels confident he can regress into a comfortable existence ceding all his possessions and power to daughters he thinks will care for him, unconditionally, except for one. It doesn't work out this way: "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is

To have a thankless child!"

Reviews reflected a fine performance (Wikipedia): "Sam Wollaston of The Guardian commended Hopkins' performance as Lear, deeming him 'shouty, vulnerable and absolutely mesmerising' and wrote that 'Shakespeare on television – a box it wasn't designed for and doesn't necessarily fit – isn't always successful. It only works if it's not just a play on the telly, but something in its own right, too, with its own identity. This one achieves that, with pace and modernity.' The Wall Street Journal's John Anderson also commended Hopkins' performance, writing that he enjoyed watching him 'gnash his teeth, wail and go gloriously mad opposite one of the best supporting casts imaginable.'"