When Did You Last See Your Father?
Movie Review of the New Anand Tucker Starring Colin Firth
Feb 7, 2008
Anand Tucker (Hilary & Jackie, Shopgirl) is back with another excellently crafted, emotionally full tale of damaged people trying to find meaning in themselves and their relationships with others. As usual, with Tucker films, the audience is left to put the pieces together through the visuals, juxtapositions, and moments of stillness. Little is directly offered to us. This visual poetry could be perceived as a weakness, and has in the past been criticized by some reviewers. It can also be perceived as beautiful, and filled with more meaning in silence than can be said in pages of exposition. This, as it should be, is left for the viewer to decide.
An Exploration of a Complex Father/Son Relationship
Blake Morrison (Colin Firth) comes home to deal with the imminent death of his father (Jim Broadbent), and reflects on his past and present perceptions and understandings of who his father is and was, along with who he was and has become within that understanding. It is said that no two people can have the same experience of an event, and “…Father?” aims to explore that.
Poetic Direction From the Man Who Brought us "Shopgirl" and "Hilary & Jackie"
Director Anand Tucker has structured this film similarly to his previous efforts. The overall theme of the movie is visible in the shots, editing, and sheer aesthetic of the film. Where “Hilary & Jackie” used constant spinning, and circular storytelling to express a feeling of control being lost, and “Shopgirl” juxtaposed lifestyles and differing ideological perspectives to demonstrate life stages and emotional gaps; “….Father” uses a fragmented, almost voyeuristic perspective to distance the audience from the truth of what is going on, leaving the viewer to make the same assumptions that Firth’s character has been forced to make through life. This method of storytelling elevates a relatively generic and overdone story far beyond the page.
Jim Broadbent Delivers a Strong Performance
In addition to the very strong direction, this film is propelled by strong performances all around, in particular by Jim Broadbent, playing an idiosyncratic, highly flawed, but deeply caring father. Broadbent does an excellent job of making his character enigmatic, while understandable, which is really how his son (and in turn the audience) needs to perceive him for the story to work. Juliette Stevenson turns in a solid and understated performance as a woman married to man who may or may not be cheating on her, while remaining grounded for her two children. Firth is the weakest link here, with a relatively flat performance, which at its worst is still decent. The script was handled with care, and written with a subtlety not often granted by screenwriters.
You'll Either Love or Hate It
"And When Did You Last See Your Father?" likely won’t be for everyone’s taste. It is a highly emotional film that expects the audience to fill in the gaps themselves. It is however, a haunting and poetic film that takes the time to let its own meaning settle in. It shines beyond other British films of late less successful in their attempts (London to Brighton, Cassandra's Dream).
