Frank: Movie Review

“Frank” was the final film I caught at SXSW last March and it was a great one to go out with. You can see my full 2014 SXSW recap here.  Below is a mini-review of the film from the festival recap.

Directed by Lenny Abrahamson, the new indie comedy “Frank” is a unique and entertaining ride. We have seen Michael Fassbender in many types of roles in recent years, but this one is completely different and I would say one of his best.

Jon (Domhnall Gleeson) is a wannabe musician who finds himself on tour with an eccentric pop band when their keyboardist tries to commit suicide. The band is led by the mysterious Frank (Michael Fassbender), who wears a large custom-made mask all the time and never takes it off. At Frank’s side is Clara (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who doesn’t quite trust Jon’s motives for joining.

Jon takes it upon himself to film the band’s daily rehearsals and post them on youtube, which gets the attention of SXSW, where they are asked to perform. As the group gets closer and closer to their SXSW debut, Jon soon realizes he might have gotten in over his head as he learns more about where the band originated from.

“Frank” is definitely worth checking out when it is released.

By: Marc Ferman