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Amends Of The Father is a redemption story audiences will never grow tired of



Amends of the father

 

Forgiveness is never easy, and plenty of drama films have tackled the subject through the flawed nature of a protagonist who continues to wallow in the same sorrow that defines men like Tony K (Stephen Sorrentino). Amends Of The Father follows a similar narrative trajectory to that of other redemption films. One that comes to mind is that of Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler, which although revolving around a different subject- that being professional wrestling -it depicted the aftermath existence of a washed up celebrity who more or less still performs in their profession, yet in a tragic sense that they are living in the past more than that of the present, so much so that it makes any attempts of redemption or reconciliation with the people they previously failed more difficult to watch but all the more worth rooting for.

 

The opening segment of Amends Of The Father features Sorrentino's Tony K. in an AA meeting that seemingly starts out simple, but then easily devolves into a shouting fest of a self-imposed form of self-hate. This illustrates the tragic nature of this character archetype. Tony K. isn't a character audiences haven't been introduced to before, but very much like Mickey Rourke's Randy The Ram Robinson, his career as a washed up artist shows an endearing quality to this character, who could easily devolve into that of a trope of massive self-delusion, as opposed to something more concrete and impactful. 

 

The premise of Amends Of The Father reads "A musician from the '80's has failed himself, his family and his son. Can he forgive himself and be forgiven?" Again, this narrative approach is nothing new, whether it centers on a film like The Wrestler or Amends Of The Father. But the reason it holds up so well is because in spite of showing a character that on more simplified terms could be labeled as either "pathetic" or "beyond redemption", the constant sense of striving that they embody by continuing their passion whilst searching for reconciliation from loved ones whom they failed, is something that never loses its flare.

 

This being Stephen Sorrentino's first feature is a unique take on what is a redemption story audiences never grow tired of and always have the ability to learn from. Not all of us are musicians or wrestlers, but much like Tony and Randy, we're all looking to be better at loving ourselves, in spite of our shortcomings.






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