axapvov
Ok, I admit it, I had no idea who Frank Sidebottom was until now. At first this fact kind of made me dislike the film a little bit, since what I thought original really wasn´t, but then it seems the script is based on real experience. In the end, one thing for another, inspiration can arrive from anywhere, it doesn´t really matter if the film borrows or not. It´s not supposed to have anything to do with Sidebottoms and, in any case, it´s not enough for it to be a reasonable criticism and I don´t really care for any of it. Having that little controversy out of the way, it´s got to be said, Frank does for pseudo-intelectual art pop what The Commitments did for soul or Crossroads did for blues. A mediocre kid gets inside a world he doesn´t understand and the audience probably won´t either. There is no need to explain much. The rhythm section is weird cause they´re weird, it´s not important, Maggie Gyllenhaal´s character is detestable, yes, that´s why she´s known as the crazy b**ch, and Frank wears a fake head just because. It´s all a great depiction of this kind of isolated artists who, talented or not, follow their passion with an obnoxious strictness, who don´t hold back any of their follies and emotional imbalances, who might change their minds every second and still be convinced they´re making absolute sense. These misfits exist, and the films honours all the weirdness without judging it, after all, the main character is craving to belong. Domhnall Gleeson´s stiff acting fits the plot, he´s suposed to be lame. He is in no position to ever understand the importance of creative control or edgy integrity. It might not mean anything, it might not even be there to begin with. He has no clue. All of these are complicated, unpopular matters dealt with simplicity and inteligence. More important than that, I found it hilarious right from the first scene. Frank worryingly asking before the big show "so they don´t know us and love us?" had me laughing like Muttley, for real.
Right BehindYou
You remember when all those people were reported to have depressive episodes after seeing 'Avatar' because they wanted to live in that alien world? Well I need a support group for people that got that way after watching 'Frank'. I'm really upset this isn't a real band, and you can't imagine how blown away I was to learn that the actors legit created and performed this music. I have this longing that I known can't...be fulfilled. Like...I'd love a sequel...but the story is so solid and complete as it is. I highly recommend this for anyone who desires something different. Touching and different. Pure outsider art.<3 <3
Michael Gallardo
First off, I've got to say that this is a masterful performance from Fassbender, even though we can't see his face reactions throughout the movie, we still can feel them, and that its absolutely difficult to do, establishing that he is using a mask-type-thing. Of course he is not alone in the movie, the mix of characters its just perfect, from the almost silent background guitar and drummer players (Francois Civil and Carla Azar respectively), the annoying and crazy Clara (Maggie Gyllenhaal), the nice but just a wee-bit-troubled Don (Scoot McNairy), to the nerdy/ambitious wannabe-a-rock star played by Gleeson, and of course Frank, we got it all. A psychotic but fun bunch of people, different of everything you commonly see, it's the most attractive aspect of the film. Even though the lead actor here is Domnhall, Fassbender performance steals the show, and this is the main factor for this movie. A showing of what ambition could do, to an original thing, something that could wreck everything that you're and purely want. A crazy/dramatic/musical/comedic film, that you must see. (Sorry if there's some grammatical errors, English it's not my main language)
The_late_Buddy_Ryan
An office worker with pop dreams, Jon (Domhnall Gleeson), joins a touring band with an unpronounceable name. Turns out the charismatic frontman, Frank (Michael Fassbender—though you may not recognize him at first), is very, very good at doing what Jon's been doing badly—improvising hooky songs about the little things in life, including a ragged tuft in a carpet and a smelly bathroom in a bar. After a year of woodshedding at a remote spot in Ireland, Jon thinks the band's ready for some exposure
Not-so-hilarious complications ensue, and the film really comes together in the final scenes, which are unexpectedly poignant. Even if you're put off by all the indie shenanigans—my wife thought the big papier-mâché head was creepy; I thought it was a therapeutic prop, like David Byrne's big suit—I urge you to hang around for Frank's last song. Good work by Maggie Gyllenhaal as the temperamental Theremin player and François Civil as the disdainful French guitarist. Fans of musical savants like Captain Beefheart and Daniel Johnston, even Wild Man Fischer (if any), should definitely watch!
AD
