Quirky Musicians in Frank Croon Cult Following

Acclaimed Irish director Lenny Abrahamson follows up his award-winning films Adam & Paul, Garage, and What Richard Did with an offbeat comedy about a young wannabe musician, Jon (Domhnall Gleeson), who finds himself out of his depth when he joins an avant-garde pop band led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank (Michael Fassbender), a musical genius who hides himself inside a large fake head, and his terrifying bandmate Clara (Maggie Gyllenhaal). (C) Magnolia

Frank is about miserable musicians playing eccentric tunes with a very bizarre front man with odd behavior. Viewers are in for a treat. The randomness on display is unpredictable, funny, and a bit sad. I really liked how well the cast worked together here. Fassbender was a hoot in the role as the lead…even though you don’t see his face. It is a unique performance in a diverse career from a talented actor.

As a quirky, “meta-comedy” based on now deceased British comedian Chris Sievey’s iconic character, it will unfamiliar to American audiences and may not translate well. I hope this isn’t the case. The jaded will love this movie. Numerous uncomfortable laughs could strike a gleeful tone with a niche hipster set. Cult sleeper status potential could happen in the States if not theatrically then absolutely on Netflix! My screening at SXSW was a riot as we were given Frank masks and the audience liked the movie. Divisive reactions could happen, but that solidifies the cult following. Some people will love Frank.

There’s no doubt that Frank is an odd movie. Yet, the new movie from Lenny Abrahamson is confident in its quirkiness which is something missing in indie cinema. This is impressive since Mr. Abrahamson is just getting his career going. I’m eager to see what he has in store next. In the meantime, get familiar with Frank so you can know what to what people will be talking about before the chatter starts.

I rate Frank an 8 out of 10.