Frank is a 2014 film directed by Lenny Abrahamson and stars Michael Fassbender as the titular character alongside the likes of Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Scott McNairy. It follows the journey of Jon (Gleeson), a keyboardist who joins a band led by Frank, who wears a large mask over his head.
It's a story that's mostly inspired by Frank Sidebottom, the comic persona of Mancunian Chris Sievey, which is where the notable headpiece comes from. It's a very unique tale that unfortunately becomes dull over its relatively short runtime.
The biggest problem I have is that the film's self-awareness of its own eccentricity becomes tiresome very quickly. Frank's actions and the quirky way in which the band operates feel like they are weird for the sake of it rather than to advance plot or character in any meaningful way. The conflicts and tensions then don't really hold any weight for me as a result.
In terms of characters I cared very little for any of them. They are not particularly interesting people, with only Clara (Gyllenhaal), the overly aggressive yet protective theremin player, holding any sort of intriguing personality. I also find it quite annoying that Frank as a character isn't really interrogated, as we learn very little about his mental illness and how that led him to be the person who he came to be.
They are good aspects to be found though, as on a technical level the film is easy on the eye and makes great use of just a $1millon budget. Gleeson's wannabe musician also undertakes a significant arc as his meddling in the band's music to make it more mainstream actually tears the band apart. His ambitions are shown to be destructive, but he actually learns and comes to terms with that by the end by bringing the members together once more. It's a well-written arc in an otherwise unremarkable story to me.
The acting across the board is also decent, with Fassbender understandably being fascinating to watch playing this odd character.
Final Verdict
In the end I have rather mixed feelings about this, but I have to say I was underwhelmed. This may have been due to the praise I knew it had received going in, but overall quirkiness of the story didn't do enough to engage me.
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