Frantic (1988)

In a hotel room in Paris, a doctor comes out of the shower and finds that his wife has disappeared. He soon finds himself caught up in a world of intrigue, espionage, gangsters, drugs and murder.

Director:

Roman Polanski

Writers:

Roman Polanski, Gérard Brach

Stars:

Harrison Ford, Betty Buckley, Emmanuelle Seigner

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Harrison Ford	...	Dr. Richard Walker
Betty Buckley	...	Sondra Walker
Emmanuelle Seigner	...	Michelle
Djiby Soumare	...	Taxi Driver
Dominique Virton	...	Desk Clerk
Gérard Klein	...	Gaillard
Stéphane D'Audeville	...	Bellboy
Laurent Spielvogel	...	Hall Porter
Alain Doutey	...	Hall Porter
Jacques Ciron	...	Le Grand Hotel Manager
Roch Leibovici	...	Bellboy 2
Louise Vincent	...	Tourist
Patrice Melennec	...	Hotel Detective Le Grand Hotel
Ella Jaroszewicz	...	Restroom Attendant
Joëlle Lagneau	...	Florist

Storyline

A doctor and his wife go to Paris for a medical conference. While showering, his wife disappears. His lack of language, and the odd way she disappeared makes it nearly impossible for him to find any official help in his search as he enters the punk/drug culture to find out what has happened to her.

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Plot Keywords:

hotel room | espionage | american in paris | husband wife relationship | paris france | 

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Taglines:

Danger. Desire. Desperation.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Because actress Betty Buckley was committed to working on this movie, she was unable to be in the Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion (1987) movie.

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Goofs

Sondra's date of birth on the form at the US Embassy (14 April 1942) does not match what is shown on the closeup of her passport (3 July 47). The passport is Betty Buckley's actual birthday.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sondra Walker: Do you know where you are?
Richard Walker: No, it's changed too much.

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Crazy Credits

The opening and closing credits scroll over the streets of Paris.

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Connections

Referenced in Granada Reports: 12 May 2020: Evening Bulletin (2020)

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Soundtracks

I Love Paris
Music by Cole Porter
Lyrics by Cole Porter

User Reviews

Frantic

Frantic, is about an American doctor named Richard Walker, who travels to Paris, France along with his wife Sondra. Once they get settled into the hotel Richard, takes a shower and soon leaves the bathroom to find that Sondra is gone. He asks around the hotel and nobody has seen her and nobody has. Not knowing much of the French language Richard, finally finds a young woman named Michelle, who seems to know more than she lets on and may help him to get back to Sondra. Frantic, has good direction, a good script, good performances by everyone involved, good original music, good cinematography and good film editing. Frantic, is a well made film and has some good acting and a good script that is smart and well paced which really makes this film a lot better than other thrillers. It relies more on style than violence and special effects and things blowing up and it is very well put together and constructed. There is enough here for a thinking movie fan and enough action near the end of the film for action film fans as well. It is also well made and works well as a psychological thriller and also as a drama and even a mystery. This is a well put together film which is helped by a good script, direction and performances.

Details

Country:

USA France

Language:

English French

Release Date:

26 February 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Frantic

Filming Locations:

48 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin, Paris 10, Paris, France

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,359,424, 28 February 1988

Gross USA:

$17,637,950

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$17,637,950

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., The Mount Company (II)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1