Frank (2014)

Jon, a young wanna-be musician, discovers he's bitten off more than he can chew when he joins an eccentric pop band led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank.

Director:

Lenny Abrahamson

Writers:

Jon Ronson, Peter Straughan

Stars:

Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal

13 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Domhnall Gleeson	...	Jon Burroughs
Moira Brooker	...	Jon's Mother
Paul Butterworth	...	Jon's Father
Phil Kingston	...	Radio DJ
Billie Traynor	...	Cafe Lady
Shane O'Brien	...	Lucas
Scoot McNairy	...	Don
Maggie Gyllenhaal	...	Clara
François Civil	...	Baraque
Carla Azar	...	Nana
Chris McHallem	...	Paramedic
Michael Fassbender	...	Frank
Michael James Ford	...	Port Official
Mark Huberman	...	Management Guru
Rosalind Adler	...	German Mother

Storyline

Jon, a young wanna-be musician, discovers he's bitten off more than he can chew when he joins an eccentric pop band led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank.

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Plot Keywords:

musician | band | hit by a car | stabbed in the leg | suicide | 

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Taglines:

When you think you've gone far enough, go farther.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Music

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual content

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scene in which Frank chases Jon whilst trying to hit him with a shovel and yelling "It'll be worth it!" was improvised by Michael Fassbender. Frank was actually just supposed to be running around, not involving Jon in any way.

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Goofs

When Frank falls on stage during the performance at SXSW, we can see he hits the head on the left side. When Jon goes to help him, the head is fractured on the left. But on the next shot, and in the following scenes at the motel, the fracture is now on the right side of the head.

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Quotes

Jon Burroughs: He said I was cherishable, and he picked me to join the band.
Clara: You are fingers being told which keys to push.
Jon Burroughs: I push my own keys...
Clara: Ten little bits of bone and skin.
Jon Burroughs: And I'm perfectly capable of going to my furthest corners and composing music.
Clara: Your furthest corners?
Jon Burroughs: My furthest corners.
Clara: Someone needs to punch you in the face.

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Crazy Credits

The credits roll with colored tiles floating and rotating in the background. At one point for a second, the tiles form Frank's head.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojoUK: Top 10 Michael Fassbender Performances (2018)

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Soundtracks

O, O, O, O, O, O.
Performed by Domhnall Gleeson
Written by Domhnall Gleeson

User Reviews

A Frank Review

I happened to see the trailer for a movie I had never heard of, called Frank, at 8:45AM this Saturday morning. Within five minutes of seeing the preview, I found that the Angelika Theater at Mockingbird Station was the only place in Dallas showing this wonderfully bizarre looking movie, and by 10:20AM, I was sitting in a dark room with about twelve other people, waiting to see just what this giant paper-mache head had in store for us.

Maybe I should step back to explain that last part. Frank revolves around an avant-garde musician names Frank, who is never seen without an oversized paper-mache mask on. The trailer promised quirky indie escapism, possibly some decent music, and some references to SXSW – ahhh, there is such beauty in under-promising and over-delivering.

For a brief moment, it feels like Frank will be little more than a stylized fictional Behind The Music type of movie because the central narrative is observed and reported from the viewpoint of an involved outsider, the new guy in the band. The outsider point of view is a perfect choice, however, because the audience then has the same questions as the narrator so we're all in it together. Is the end product of music/art as important as the process of creating it or who you create it with? Frank captures the ambition and compulsion of creating art and very harshly slaps away any generalizations of how or why an artist is the way he is. The paper- mache head isn't a gimmick for the movie or the music.

On the topic of music, Frank and his band The Soronprfbs, are easily ranked in the top five fictional bands – The Wonders(That Thing You Do), Stillwater(Almost Famous), Eddie & The Cruisers(Eddie & The Crusiers), Wylde Ratttz(Velvet Goldmine), and The Soronprfbs(Frank). The music falls somewhere between The Flaming Lips, Jim Morrison, and an extremely catchy coffee shop rambler.

The band is absolutely mesmerizing every single second they are on the screen and much of that credit has to go to Michael Fassbender. Because we can't see his face, every bit of emotion must be poured out elsewhere. Fassbender delivers an extremely physical performance. From the combination of his hands and voice, to the way he shuffles when uncomfortable, to the way he loses control when he sings, the small crowd that happens to see Frank this year will be seeing one of the best performances of 2014.

It has been almost two days since I saw Frank and I still can't get it out of my mind. Maybe it's the music or maybe it's the acting but I think the bigger reason is that it asks the questions I thought only I had. How does someone create something both abstract and powerful? What part of my brain should I be tapping into? Why can't I? Frank is a photograph of the special brand of artistic jealousy that wants to be or at least be part of something bigger and better than ourselves, all while realizing the privilege of simply getting to be witness to that greatness.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Site

Country:

UK Ireland

Language:

English French German

Release Date:

5 September 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

Frank

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$16,056, 17 August 2014

Gross USA:

$645,186

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,897,363

Company Credits

Production Co:

Element Pictures, Runaway Fridge Productions, Film4

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1