5 January 2015

Frank [iTunes HD]


A disturbing little film that started off funny, turned dark midway and ended off a little depressing, but always held together by the four main cast: Michael Fassbender, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Domhnall Gleeson and Scoot McNairy.

There are times within the 90-odd minutes run of Lenny Abrahamson's film where it dragged and you wonder what is actually (going to) happen, however, interspersed within these moments are heartfelt observations of Life, absurdist comedic slap-schticks and a satirical commentary about social media. 

Fassbender, despite that oddly charming paper mâché head, is compelling as our eponymous protagonist. His body language and tone of voice conveyed the complexities of this strange character, and you cannot help but feel drawn to him and his "condition". This was so much so that the success of the final act is directly because of Fassbender owning Frank, otherwise the ending could have been more ludicrous rather than depressing. 

Gleeson played the straight guy in the film, but as the film progressed, he slowly became a representative of modern society. In the first two acts, Gleeson's dry comedic chops were perfect foils to the rest of the madcap cast, but as the film got darker, Gleeson only got grayer and that fell short of the expectations of the story. 

Gyllenhaal is an exceptional actress - see The Honourable Woman - but she really excels as playing the strange/odd/quirky one. She, like her brother, often inhabits their roles. You can really believe that she is her character, and her character is her. This made her strangely relatable as the film draws to an end. 

Lastly, McNairy was brought humanity as the unexpected emotional core of the story. 

Frank is not for most movie goers, but an entertaining and rewarding trip for those who appreciate. 


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