Manchester based paper mache tyrant Frank had been louting it up on our television screens for as long as we can remember. And now he has been immortalized on the screen. Out on DVD today, Frank is loosely by Ronson's own memoirs about cult-comedy icon Frank Sidebottom, hence the instantly recognisable paper mache head that Michael Fassbender wears throughout the majority of the film. This probably goes someway to explaining the story - Jon (Gleeson), joins up with Frank's (Fassbender) band after their keyboard player is institutionalised. Jon believes that this will finally allow for his dream of becoming a singer to come true, however he quickly finds that not all is at it seems. Frank's band is, for lack of a better phrase, extremely out there. All members seem to have mental health problems in various degrees and their methods in producing music are alternative.
But is it good or bad? Vanessa andLiam battle it out!
But is it good or bad? Vanessa andLiam battle it out!
For by Vanessa Hague
To borrow words from the film, how to describe Frank? Well, Frank is... well it's Frank. How else can you describe a film that is all about a man who joins a band that is led by a man in a paper mache head without sounding completely barking mad? You can't really, it's a film that is hard to explain in a sense.
I didn't know what to expect when I started watching Frank. I read other various reviews and they all said good things - a different "offbeat" comedy, directed by Lenny Abrahamson, partly written by Jon Ronson (who wrote The Men Who Stare at Goats) and starring Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michael Fassbender. On paper it sounded like my kind of film and thankly, it was.
It does get quite bizarre at times and the comedy in Frank reflects this, the "chinchilla scene" being a prime example. It is saved from going too overboard because we enter this world together with Jon, he is the only character where it is clear that he is mentally sound and as such he acts as an anchor. I personally liked the comedy, the film knows it running with some odd subject matter and goes with it to the fullest extent. If it decided to do anything less, the film would have fallen flat.
Whilst it's primarily a comedy, it does explore some interesting territory relating to the fine line between madness and talent. Frank's alternative music talent stems from his mental illness and at several points throughout the film, Jon often remarks how much easier song writing would be if he had a difficult childhood to inspire him or a mental illness of his own. If anything, the film could have perhaps explored this theme slightly more because it did provide needed gravitas in a film that basically explores a sensitive subject matter.
I didn't know what to expect when I started watching Frank. I read other various reviews and they all said good things - a different "offbeat" comedy, directed by Lenny Abrahamson, partly written by Jon Ronson (who wrote The Men Who Stare at Goats) and starring Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michael Fassbender. On paper it sounded like my kind of film and thankly, it was.
It does get quite bizarre at times and the comedy in Frank reflects this, the "chinchilla scene" being a prime example. It is saved from going too overboard because we enter this world together with Jon, he is the only character where it is clear that he is mentally sound and as such he acts as an anchor. I personally liked the comedy, the film knows it running with some odd subject matter and goes with it to the fullest extent. If it decided to do anything less, the film would have fallen flat.
Whilst it's primarily a comedy, it does explore some interesting territory relating to the fine line between madness and talent. Frank's alternative music talent stems from his mental illness and at several points throughout the film, Jon often remarks how much easier song writing would be if he had a difficult childhood to inspire him or a mental illness of his own. If anything, the film could have perhaps explored this theme slightly more because it did provide needed gravitas in a film that basically explores a sensitive subject matter.
Towards the end of the film however, the theme of mental illness is brought directly to the forefront. Frank finally is free of his paper mache head (albeit not from his own hand, he loses it when he gets hit by a car) and we finally get to see the real Frank. When he was wearing the paper mache head, Frank had a strange sense of energy, the head was his outlet and without it, Frank withdraws into himself and everything is on display because the paper mache head isn't there to detract from it. It's quite shocking to see the differences between the two Frank personas and the ending itself is really quite touching because of the stark change in performance and tone. Frank sings a song to his band, I Love You All, which will sound mad by itself but if you've seen the film, it really is anything but. It really is a credit to Fassbender's acting talent because mental illness is a serious subject and it needed to be handled with care and he does just that... plus his singing isn't all too bad either.
Frank won't be for everyone, it might be a little too out there for some and I understand that, but to quote Michael Fassbender, if "you just sort of give yourself over to head", you'll have a quite an enjoyable ride. Bizarre (I'm still trying to make sense of some it), but enjoyable.
Frank won't be for everyone, it might be a little too out there for some and I understand that, but to quote Michael Fassbender, if "you just sort of give yourself over to head", you'll have a quite an enjoyable ride. Bizarre (I'm still trying to make sense of some it), but enjoyable.
Against by Liam McMillen
Against is a harsh word for Frank – a film that so clearly has its heart in the right place – but I have to say that I didn't enjoy it as most people did. For example, it was sitting on the number one spot of Mark Kermode's best films of the first half of the year. For me, it has to many problems to warrant that amount of praise – but I can certainly see how you could enjoy it.
Frank is confused about what it wants to be. Does it want to be a comedy? Or does it want to be a quirky, but drama that explores dark themes? It tries to do both, and both of them are watered down. Honestly, it's not as funny as it could be, which is baffling because it has Michael Fassbender with a Frank Sidebottom head on for the entire film. I'd say that 66% of the movie it wants to be a comedy and sometimes it hits comedy gold, but the other 33% of the time it wants to be a drama about mental illness. There's massive tonal problems. The final act feels like it doesn't belong to the same film as the first two acts. It's like eating a ham and jam sandwich, they work on their own but together the taste is less than satisfactory – and this is the majority of Frank. Also, for a film about music, the music isn't great. There's one song that hits you, but apart from that the rest are massively forgettable.
Frank is confused about what it wants to be. Does it want to be a comedy? Or does it want to be a quirky, but drama that explores dark themes? It tries to do both, and both of them are watered down. Honestly, it's not as funny as it could be, which is baffling because it has Michael Fassbender with a Frank Sidebottom head on for the entire film. I'd say that 66% of the movie it wants to be a comedy and sometimes it hits comedy gold, but the other 33% of the time it wants to be a drama about mental illness. There's massive tonal problems. The final act feels like it doesn't belong to the same film as the first two acts. It's like eating a ham and jam sandwich, they work on their own but together the taste is less than satisfactory – and this is the majority of Frank. Also, for a film about music, the music isn't great. There's one song that hits you, but apart from that the rest are massively forgettable.
The third act in particular is a disappointment. Some of the disjointedness between the locations could be intentional to reflect Frank's unease and nervousness but it still feels dislocated from the previous two acts. The film also sheds a lot of its comic wit in favour of a more sombre and serious tone that emerges almost out of nowhere followed by a simple and easy conclusion that seems formulaic in its message about speaking truthfully to find proper artistic rewards. It is odd that the film starts to edge towards those same painful upbringings that it initially parodied. Perhaps with more time with Frank the man instead of the image it might have been a more moving ending to the story. Yet since watching the film, Frank has grown on me because of the weight of the ideas about creativity and complacency. It also relishes an interesting cast who aren't renowned for their comic traits. Sometimes the chances of being a little different or strange pay off and sometimes they don't. It is the joy and the pain of any art form.
Ultimately, there's too many tonal and rhythmic issues to make this compulsory viewing. It could definitely grow on multiple viewings but first impressions fail to meet such high expectations. It's certainly going to be a Marmite film, but I think it's a film you should see. Don't let me put you off
Ultimately, there's too many tonal and rhythmic issues to make this compulsory viewing. It could definitely grow on multiple viewings but first impressions fail to meet such high expectations. It's certainly going to be a Marmite film, but I think it's a film you should see. Don't let me put you off
What Do You Think?
Did you enjoy Frank?
Or was it a waste of time?
Let us know in the comments!
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