26.2.23
I fucking loved The Father, mainly due to Anthony Hopkins’ phenomenal performance, as well as the sublime manipulation of the film’s interior set, which left me second-guessing reality for most of the duration. In comparison, The Son is an enjoyable follow-up (or quasi-prequel), and although it lacks any comparably exciting plot devices, it has some really great performances in it as well as some heart-wrenching but predictable moments.
Hugh Jackman’s character is very familiar (a high-status New York lawyer who appears to have it all), but his commitment to the role is both intense and measured, depending on the scene. I am not a father myself but I felt like this portrayal of a man with a troubled son is indeed genuine, although I do understand some of the criticism for the film’s heavy-handedness, as well as the actor playing his son (who I have honestly never heard of before).
The dramatic tensions in the family become more splintered as the film develops, as you would expect when you invite a depressed teenager into your young second wife’s apartment whilst caring for a newborn, but unlike in The Father where the mystery keeps unfolding, things seem to become a bit too adversarial in The Son, and my wife and I totally saw the ending coming.
It’s definitely worth watching, especially for the excellent Hopkins scene, but also to flesh out this small universe of dark family life that Florian Zeller has created. Bring on The Mother or, The Holy Spirit, or whatever he calls film number three.