Frank

FRANK (15)

D: Lenny Abrahamson

Element/Film4/Irish Film Board/Runaway Fridge (David Barron, Ed Guiney & Steve Lee)

Ireland/UK 🇮🇪 🇬🇧 2014

95 mins

Comedy

W: Jon Ronson & Peter Straughan

DP: James Mather

Ed: Nathan Nugent

Mus: Stephen Rennicks

Michael Fassbender (Frank), Domnhall Gleeson (Jon Burroughs), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Clara Wagner), Scott McNairy (Don), Carla Azar (Nana)

Frank is a brilliantly original and wildly surreal black comedy which follows an alternative music band called Soronprfbs, headlined by the enigmatic Frank who performs and lives his day-to-day life disguised by a large papier-mâché mask over his head. Following the mental breakdown of the band's keyboardist, wannabe songwriter-musician Jon Burroughs (Gleeson) becomes the band's newest recruit, hoping it will immerse him into a new world of fame and fortune as he tries to force the band to adopt a more mainstream style instead of their experimental one.

The film manages to be inventive and funny, as well as having heart and a good moral about being happy in your own skin, rather than do what makes others happy. It also has something to say about originality, which I'm all for. All the cast are great, especially Michael Fassbender who gives character to a lifeless head quite brilliantly. The original songs also range from weird to wonderful. A cracking piece of alternative, independent cinema.

7/10