Frank

[funthing29]

I caught this last night at Sundance London with a Q&A with the director, screenwriters, Domhnall Gleeson and Michael Fassbender.

I am still torn in how to review this. Fassbender does an incredible job of carrying the film even though his performance is done through a giant fake head. The story starts off witty and light but I think it loses its way once the band leave Ireland. The final act feels dark and broody and the ending does not sit right with the mood and tone of the film as a whole. The soundtrack suited the film well and Fassbender certainly makes this worth watching. 7.5/10.

[TheDude]

I also got to see this on Friday (with a thousand thanks to funthing, again!), and being a bit of a fan of Chris Sievey / Frank Sidebottom, I had high hopes for it and really wanted it to be great, but in the end feel somewhat disappointed.

Apart from the papier-mache head, the main character (played very well by Michael Fassbender) bears very little resemblence to the jolly, child-like Frank Sidebottom, and instead seems a far more disturbed individual. I knew this wouldn't be a biopic (as per Sievey's wishes), but it was still weird seeing that big ridiculous head and hearing Fassbender's deep voice and not the silly comedian from Timperley. So I struggled with that.

The story is entertaining enough to begin with (that whole album recording sequence made me think of Captain Beefheart and his unorthodox recording methods in the late '60s!), but then it all turns darker and less interesting, before finally fizzling out. I'll rate it 7/10 although it feels like I'm being too generous. I might give it another viewing though...

Btw, a documentary about Chris Sievey, called "Being Frank" is in the works and should be coming out later this year.

[stuartboy]

Frank Sidebottom petrified me as a child. I hated him.
Will watch this with certain reservations.

[prettyxcool]

Saw this last night at the lovely, swanky new Curzon at Victoria. The Curzon Victoria Screen 5 is very, very nice with really comfortable chairs that recline, and a proper little round table at every seat, to put your drinks down and a a holder for your wine and ice bucket!

Was subjected to half an hour of trailers! Twice for The Two Faces of January and immediately before the screening started, for Frank.

The film was not as hilarious as trailers led you to believe, but imaginative & sad, outstanding performance from Michael Fassbender as Frank. So a bit disappointing, that is why I hate trailers behind forced down on me, and they showed it before we watched the film, what was all that about???? Weird, a bit like the film, funny weird not funny haha.

7/10

[ejwrank]

For something that was supposed to be ultra quirkly I found this boring and dull.

And please -- when you come to the cinema just as the film is starting, do NOT try to bully me into moving (along with 2 other people) so you and your girlfriend can sit in the middle of the back row together. I found it pretty hard to stand firm alone when this guy was bullying me but fortunately the woman next to me was very forthright and told him to come early next time and to sit separately. He didn't stop complaining for some time and I was glad he wasn't next to me. But this woman stood her ground (sat her ground????) and did not budge! Well done! And please explain why some people need to drink beer before 11am?

[D-Fens]

I had no expectations and enjoyed it until[spoiler]Texas where the band falling apart felt like a different movie and insufficient commentary on social media. Jon finding his voice and writing a song seemed the more likely destination. And then the mental illness at the end detracted a bit from the creative joy of the start.[/spoiler]
A bit like The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

[stuartboy]

The best thing that I can say about this annoying little fim is that it appears to have very little indeed to do with the odious obnoxious loathsome creature that was Frank Sidebottom. Indeed, transplant that ghastly papier-mache head for another different mask and this film would have been unrecognisable from its origin.

Domhnall Gleeson plays a likeable character, but is barely destinguishable from the character he played in About Time, and this film is about as bland.

Michael Fassbender is totally wasted in this - how can you be seen to be acting when you are wearing a huge mask throughout? Not even giving a commentary on your hidden facial expressions can make up for this.

The whole film could have been condensed into a half-hour pilot/drama for Channel 4, and we could all have had an extra hour in bed on this Sunday morning.

Lame - and with a crap soundtrack to boot.

4/10

PS - I wonder if they had to change the design of the head subtlely to avoid copyright infringement?

[D-Fens]

PS - I wonder if they had to change the design of the head subtlely to avoid copyright infringement?

Do you mean the eyes mainly? They were probably too reminiscent of Pac-Man. Unfortunately the other changes seemed like an unnecessary answer to the question, how can he live in this head 24/7.

[stuartboy]

PS - I wonder if they had to change the design of the head subtlely to avoid copyright infringement?

Do you mean the eyes mainly? They were probably too reminiscent of Pac-Man. Unfortunately the other changes seemed like an unnecessary answer to the question, how can he live in this head 24/7.

Yes, the eyes, but also the shape of the mouth and the hair was kinda moulded in 3D/relief rather than just painted on.

Pac Man - The Movie would have been more entertaining than this though. Now there's an idea!

[rawsalsa]

I agree with Stuartboy's review of this. One of the main reasons I wanted to see this was because of Michael Fassbender who normally chooses rather interesting roles, however even he couldn't save this. I didn't sleep well last night & this film was incredibly soporific, so at least managed to catch up on some sleep during the screening - I knew I could find something positive about this film . 3/10