Frank

Name: Frank
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Comedy, Music
Released: August 15, 2014
Duration: 95 min
Rating: 75
Cast: Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Fassbender

2014

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Generally favorable reviews based on 33 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 187 Ratings

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7.1	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 187 Ratings

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Frank

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Movie Details & Credits

Magnolia Pictures | Release Date: August 15, 2014 | R

Starring: Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michael Fassbender

Summary: A young wannabe musician, Jon (Domhnall Gleeson), finds himself out of his depth when he joins an avant-garde pop band led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank (Michael Fassbender), a musical genius who hides himself inside a large fake head, and his terrifying bandmate Clara (Maggie Gyllenhaal).

Director: Lenny Abrahamson

Genre(s): Drama, Mystery, Comedy, Music

Rating: R

Runtime: 95 min

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Critic Reviews

100

The Playlist Rodrigo Perez

Jan 26, 2014

This terrific and sublime experience, and strikingly original film, is mandatory watching for the adventurous viewer. Read full review

Michael Phillips

Aug 28, 2014

A functioning, funny, weirdly touching fable of artistic angst and aspiration, a meditation on fame and its terrors and the metaphoric usefulness of masks and huge fake heads. Read full review

Peter Debruge

Jan 26, 2014

Helmer Lenny Abrahamson (“Garage,” “Adam & Paul”) puts the pic’s eccentricity to good use, luring in skeptics with jokey surrealism and delivering them to a profoundly moving place. Read full review

Kenneth Turan

Aug 21, 2014

Odd, offbeat, somehow endearing, the bleakly comic Frank has its own kind of charm as well as some pointed, poignant things to say about the mysterious nature of creativity, where it comes from and where it might all go. Read full review

Sara Stewart

Aug 13, 2014

If Michael Fassbender wears a giant papier-mâché head for most of a film, is he still mesmerizing? Happily, yes. Read full review

Dana Stevens

Aug 18, 2014

Fassbender spending nearly an entire movie obscured by a giant fake head is such a had-me-at-hello idea that it’s disappointing that Frank never plumbs the fascinating questions it raises about performance, group dynamics, and mental health. Read full review

Todd McCarthy

Jan 26, 2014

The mash-up of elements combine with a singularly unpleasant roster of characters to create a work of genuinely off-putting quirkiness. Read full review

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User Reviews

Cobe

Jun 1, 2015

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The extra ordinary movie, Frank is the story about the group sound. John is the amatuer keyboard player who want to be a great song writer, but he even can't merge a single lyric with the melody. One day, he met the band 'The Soronprfbs', had a chance to play with. But unlike his expection, the soronprfbs plays mysterious music which was written by Frank. The band became fame for the new keyboard player's youtube video, they got a chance to play at the music festival. However, the comflict between memebers was getting toughed, Frank and John faced critical situation. Although rest of the members didn't play the show, the weird duo go through the stage.
The people who use SNS me included, want to notify how they feel, how they live, how they do, yes they want to tell everyone about themselves. Like John and Frank, even the band's great leader and song writer want to communicate with the others. It drives Frank in to thirst about the public's attention, finally it ruin everything. Same as Frank, all of us want to be loved one, even the genius, but we still feel lonely, while be loved, because humans are lonely island. We pretend to perfect and normal but we don't, humans are twisted and imperfection, so we should dance, sing, love each other for remedy our shortcoming, just like Frank did with the german lady.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

OpinionatedGuy

Sep 29, 2014

This movie is a perfect example why I love music as an art.

The music that the characters are trying to create is the best part of the movie. Their dedication and their love of music as an art made me enjoy this entire movie. The movie has a quirky sense of humor which is also one ofThis movie is a perfect example why I love music as an art.

The music that the characters are trying to create is the best part of the movie. Their dedication and their love of music as an art made me enjoy this entire movie.

The movie has a quirky sense of humor which is also one of the best parts of the movie. The jokes from the script felt naturally delivered and the comedic timing is perfect.

The concept of the movie about Frank in a mask is clever and it makes the movie the way it is. Quirky and charming.

Michael Fassbender is a fantastic actor in this movie and even if you don’t quite see his facial expressions, you can sense that he is Frank, not Michael Fassbender playing Frank. Domhnall Gleeson also did a good job portraying his character Jon and Maggie Gyllenhaal, wow, her character is a **** and she did a great job portraying her, which might contribute why I like her despite she can be very unlikable with her purist hipster music attitude.

The plot was really well-organized and it did not have any dull moments during the entire movie. It was very heart-warming without trying too hard.

As regards to the themes of the movie, this movie cleverly delivered the themes about anxiety. Without spoiling too much, it explained why Frank has a mask in his head very well for me even though the full details on why he felt anxious is not clear. I am satisfied about this and it makes me think about why he has anxiety. It’s quite thought-provoking if you think about it.

As much as I like the plot, the ending fell a bit short for me. It’s quite bittersweet and the events unfolded in the middle of the movie explains the ending’s bittersweet tone. But I felt like they could have done better with how the movie would end. Nonetheless, I like it, I expected better.

If you love music as an art, Frank is the movie you should see with its quirky humor, clever concept, brilliant cast performance, heart-warming plot and thought-provoking themes about anxiety.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

TrilobiteG

Sep 20, 2015

A unique and tasteful perspective on music making, social media, psychosis, mental disability as a whole. Frank is a must see for the introvert, even if it does leave some arcs hanging.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

virginiaproud

Jan 12, 2015

I was so fascinated by what I'd just seen that I had to immediately Google and learn about the true story behind Frank. There's a lot to unravel in this movie, but you can also watch it for the pure ridiculous entertainment of the premise. It's not perfect, there are moments where you areI was so fascinated by what I'd just seen that I had to immediately Google and learn about the true story behind Frank. There's a lot to unravel in this movie, but you can also watch it for the pure ridiculous entertainment of the premise. It's not perfect, there are moments where you are simply waiting for the next thing to happen, but I never stopped waiting anxiously to find out what would happen to Frank.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

FilmPhonic

Jan 5, 2016

A young man’s mundane life in small-town Ireland is transformed when he joins a bizarre underground experimental pop band fronted by an enigmatic singer who never removes his oversized cartoon costume head, as success beckons, band dynamics and personality clashes come to a head in thisA young man’s mundane life in small-town Ireland is transformed when he joins a bizarre underground experimental pop band fronted by an enigmatic singer who never removes his oversized cartoon costume head, as success beckons, band dynamics and personality clashes come to a head in this unique comedy/drama from director Lenny Abrahamson.

Eccentric is probably the most appropriate adjective to describe ‘Frank’ and everything that surrounds this film. The story and titular character are loosely based on “Frank Sidebottom”, the alter ego of 80/90’s British alternative comedian/musician Chris Sievey who wore suits and a large Max Fleischer cartoon-styled costume head whilst performing music, comedy and hosting a talk show, all in his surrealist pastiche style.

This “Frank”, played by the irresistible and ever convincing Michael Fassbender, is a talented and enigmatic young man who suffers from mental illness and uses the head as a shield from society, around him is gathered his cult-like and equally eccentric band with their own psychological issues and together they wander around Britain & Ireland creating their unique brand of “avant-garde” underground psychedelic music.

The story is told from the perspective of Domhnall Gleeson as “Jon”, the everyman who joins the band and goes from outsider to the driving force for popularity as he uses his promotional skills to reach a larger audience, and in the process disrupts the group dynamics which surfaces one of the main themes in ‘Frank’, the notion of artistic integrity vs. success. Even though the film is an ode to the outsider and artistic freedom, it does a great job at exposing the often pompous and pretentious nature of “experimental” artists.

Indeed ‘Frank’ is a curious mix of themes and elements which include, belonging, isolation, mental illness and the question of trauma & suffering as an essential element for inspiration and “real” art. Frank himself is not only inspired by “Frank Sidebottom” but also some of the pioneers of “art-rock” and alternative music, such as Captain Beefheart, Daniel Johnston and Ian Dury.

Although ‘Frank’ is very much a quirky comedy which sometimes descends into slapstick but is always surreal, the tone and pace changes drastically towards the end and becomes a drama that deals with mental illness. Although it does a commendable job of not treating the psychologically troubled as victims, there is no space to faithfully depict the intricacies of mental illness here and the conclusion of the film is rather sentimental and slightly out of place.

The Bottom Line…
Although quirky to a fault and despite only skimming the surface of some profound subject matter, ‘Frank’ is a wonderfully weird and cinematically unique blend of elements that makes for an artistry comedy/drama that you won’t soon forget.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

DukeJon

Jul 5, 2015

I was expecting a lot better than this. For me the film never really figured out what it wanted to be and, other than the mystery of what's under Frank's fake head, never really held my interest. None of the characters were particularly likeable and behaved in ways that never really madeI was expecting a lot better than this. For me the film never really figured out what it wanted to be and, other than the mystery of what's under Frank's fake head, never really held my interest. None of the characters were particularly likeable and behaved in ways that never really made much sense. Ended on quite a flat note as well.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

MikefromAngus

Dec 31, 2014

What a bore of a movie. Half way watching the movie, I expected the story to kick in and get me interested. The movie was so bad, I watched 3/4 of it and couldn't finish it.

0 of 8 users found this helpful08

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