In this blog, I had a chance to review various movies with well known aging movie stars (e.g. Clint Eastwood, Jack Nicholson, Dianne Keaton, and many more). Yet so far, somehow, Anthony Hopkins was missing from this blog.... and now's the time to correct this.
The Dresser is a British Drama film. It is based on a 1980 play by Ronald Harwood. While it's a movie - it is actually a sort of a "filmed" theater play, as in 95% of time - the action occurs in one small location and in a limited time-frame: a single evening in the dressing room of an ageing actor - while outside a war is raging and bombs are falling.
The story is quite simple, and circles around the unique, complicated and delicate relationships between an ageing Shakespearean actor (Anthony Hopkins - which in the movie named only "Sir"), his dresser (Norman - played by Ian McKellen ), his wife (named "Her Ladyship" and played by Emily Watson), and the theater's stage manager (Madge - played by Sarah Lancashire).
The movie begins when we learn that Sir was hospitalized, after found wandering on the streets of London during an air raid (the time is WWII), and after engaging in erratic and strange public behaviors - all which is happening on an eve of a scheduled performance that Sir stars as King Lear (.... of which any gerontologist knows by heart and understands well its symbolism).
But this all changes as Sir reapears in his dressing room after having "dischared himself" from the hospital. While it is clear that he is not fit to act, Norman, his dresser insists all is well, and that Sir will be able to perform.
The rest of the movie follows the struggling Sir, with his cognitive deline (he cannot remember the first line of his role), along with a series of interactions with his wife (which is also an actor in the show and is well aware of his deteriorating condition), and other actors - as Sir eventually goes on stage and performs a magnificant role as "King Lear".
While not your "easy-going" or "enjoyable" Hollywood movie, this is nevertheless an excellent gerontological movie which I highly recommend.
To begin with, this is a Tour-de-Force of two great aging actors: Anthony Hopkins and Ian McKellen - both well in their 70s - who provide an outstanding performance, which represent not only their great talents, but how old age can be of great benefit in acting and playing.
But more importantly, the way the movie (play) dances between the well known Shakespearean themes of King Lear (an ageing king, giving up his wealth to flattery only to be betrayed) - and the reality of an aging man who used to be a successful and powerful actor, and now is ageing, suffering from cognitive decline, and experiences the betreyal of his body and his surroundings.
It is hard to count and refer to the so many different issues around aging and old age which rise in the movie: starting from the fear of death, to the meaning of life-long relationships or the significance of informal care relationships, ending in the inter-relationships between generations. These fascinating issues are all depicted in a delicate and shopisticated manner, providing ample space to develop rich discussions and debates after finishing watching the movie.
This is an excellent "not-for-begginers" gerontological movie. See it.
2015
UK
Director: Richard Eyre
Official Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMxByFQ-xXU