With a degree of cynicism it’s something of a truism that an acting role that features a disability or illness has always caught the eyes of awards givers and dementia earned Anthony Hopkins a Best Actor Oscar for ‘The Father’ (2021) and deservedly so especially for its devastatingly upsetting last scene. But Familiar Touch is far less showy thanks to Kathleen Chalfant – a US award winning stage legend – whose economy and nuance grounds the film.
The story…
She plays Ruth, a now retired chef, first seen preparing a meal but soon hints that all is not as it should be when she stacks toast in a washing up rack. It’s all in preparation for a meal with Steve (a very good H. Jon Benjamin) who she mildly flirts with and who offers to give her a lift in his car. That lift is to a retirement home and it’s here that she (and we) find out that Steve is her married son who is dealing with her short term memory loss and its part of her increasing cognitive decline that makes this so tragic.
Familiar Touch powerhouse duo…..
Written and directed by Sarah Friedland in her debut feature she has drawn on her own experience dealing with those suffering from dementia and there are a host of great scenes that starts from the opening moments to a scene with Ruth in a swimming pool, another where she takes over the kitchen and cooks for everyone and her interactions with her carer at the home. Together with a remarkable performance from Chalfant (she won a Best Actress award at the 2024 Venice Film Festival for the role) this is an equally remarkable and graceful albeit low key film that deserves to be seen.
related feature : ‘The Father’ – reviewed here
related feature : ‘Five Feet Apart’ premiere introduced by cystic fibrosis patient Sophie Grace Homes
We chat with Kathleen Chalfant about her role in the film….
Here’s the Familiar Touch trailer….
The post Familiar Touch – REVIEW appeared first on Any Good Films.
from Any Good Films https://ift.tt/wR1GmQy
