'The Father' is a return to form for Anthony Hopkins

Films about the debilitating physical and emotional impact of Alzheimers has become something of a genre. It makes sense. They're relatable, profoundly moving and provide a lot for an actor to chew on, That being said, I almost always avoid these movies like the plague because they are so unbelievably sad.

I am still reeling from 2007's incredibly downbeat Away From Her. And I never got around to seeing Still Alice which won Julianne Moore, I hear, a richly deserved Academy Award. I am frightened of this happening to my parents, in laws, myself or my spouse.

The Father, effectively taps into that fear -- in its strongest moments it plays almost like a horror film where we are placed in the shoes of Anthony Hopkins, a proud octogenarian whose daughter (played empathetically by Olivia Coleman) wants to get him an in-home caretaker because his memory is dramatically failing.

He resists her entreaties vociferously, even when his world is spinning out of control. He confuses his daughter and his son-in-law, he conflates moments in time and locations. All of this is not just disorienting for him but the audience too. It's also remarkably sad.

The best thing about the film is Hopkins, who at 83 finally has returned to form after decades of dramatically uneven work. He's working at the peak of his powers here -- he can be charming and cruel and he is utterly convincing when he is helpless. When the character finally lets his guard down and has an emotional meltdown, it's difficult to watch and rather sublime.

If Hopkins never played another role in his life besides Hannibal Lector in The Silence of the Lambs his status as a legend would be secure -- but he has several other time capsule performances. I especially love his work in two other '90s films: Nixon, where he gives a surprisingly sympathetic portrayal of the former president and the devastating Remains of the Day, where he plays a tragically repressed butler opposite Emma Thompson.

This film reminds of that one, since it's also about a man who insists on trying to maintain a facade no matter what. It's a tricky thing to play someone who is very vulnerable trying to project invulnerability, but Hopkins does it very well.

I can't say The Father is an enjoyable film. There are moments of gallows humor and pathos but it is pretty relentlessly dour and a bit claustrophobic -- which may be the point. It would make a phenomenal stage play but it may be a tad one note as a film although it occasionally plays with perspective in ways that I appreciated.

Quite frankly, the trailer spoils much of the films surprises, which is unforgivable. It ends up blunting some of the movie's impact. In fact I would suggest that if you are curious about The Father you SHOULD NOT watch the trailer first. Go in cold. It'll remind you not just what a great actor Anthony Hopkins used to be, but how good he still is.