Frank (2014)

Movie Info

So….who does your papier-mâché hair?

Jon (Domhnall Gleeson) feels like he just hit the lottery.  An enigmatic band called Soronprfbs has picked him to fill in for their band member who attempted suicide.  As he posts about his experiences with the band, he begins to see that fame could be attainable for Soronprfbs if they try.  The band’s leader Frank (Michael Fassbender) has never known fame and begins to believe Jon’s tales of Soronprfbs becoming a success against the wishes of Clara (Maggie Gyllenhaal).  When Soronprfbs is invited to play South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, Soronprfbs could be on the verge of success or failure, and Frank could pay the ultimate price.

Directed by Lenny Abrahamson, Frank is based on the comedian Chris Sievey’s character Frank Sidebottom.  The movie was met with mostly critical acclaim.

Maggie Gyllenhaal: Master of the Sarcastic Stare

Michael Fassbender is one of the big up and coming stars who is often noticed for his looks.  Frank places this star in a papier-mâché head and hide a big assett to this film…which is genius.  The movie is odd, extreme, and great but does suffer from a somewhat ineffective ending.

The movie feels extremely original.  It is odd and in a tone where you don’t know how to take it.  The whole sequence of events that lead up to Austin have this surreal nature that keeps you focused and paying attention…then the movie decides to get serious.  The light and fun movie starts to dive into Frank’s sickness and it loses a lot of its fun.  It doesn’t feel like it mixes with the first part of the movie.

Prepare for Rapture!

Domhnall Gleeson has to hold down the movie.  The actor is an up and coming star and he flexes his acting muscles here (something he wasn’t able to do in the rather small role of Bill Weasley in the later Harry Potter films).  His character is ego driven and manipulative, but you still manage to like and feel sorry for him at points.  The obvious star of the movie is Fassbender as the mysterious Frank.  He’s fun, odd, and “wacky” in a good way.  It leaves you questioning if he is crazy or if everyone in the movie is.  Maggie Gyllenhaal plays her normal role as the rather cynical rival vying for Frank’s affection.

South by Southwest….we are in you!

The idea of a man in a papier-mâché head just screams the fodder for good visuals and Frank succeeds in that.  The movie has a strange feel and in turn a strange style to the movie.  I like how the movie looks, and the band’s music has an oddity to it that is just weird but also kind of enjoyable at the same time.

In general, Frank is just a weird, weird film and a good experience.  It is unfortunate that it can’t keep up with itself.  The movie starts out with a lot of promise and probably needs some justification, but the fall of Frank just isn’t as fun as Frank when he wants to be a star.  Frank ended as kind of bummer.  It shows hope at the very end, but it is too little too late…you’ll be screaming “chinchilla”.