FRANK

Basically…

Young wannabe musician, Jon, (Domhnall Gleeson), joins an eccentric and mysterious band as they set up camp in a cabin in the woods to record an album. The group is fronted by Frank, (Michael Fassbender), who wears a giant fake head. Tensions mount as the troubled band members try to find their sound and make an impact on the market.

In other words…

Taking the term head case to a new level.

The main men and leading ladies…

Fassbender plays the genuine, disturbed Frank, bringing personality and soul to a character who hides away from the world behind a mask. Maggie Gyllenhaal is excellent as the psychotic and possessive Clara while Gleeson takes a completely different direction from last year’s About Time. Speaking from the perspective of the audience, he shares their confusion and often disbelief at some downright odd situations.

In the chair…

Lenny Abraham is probably best known for helping Transformers’ star, Michael Bay, make a career for himself, having given him $40 and setting him on his way to LA. That was after he’d worked with him on What Richard Did, another film about misfits and complex characters.

So…?

Set in a chilled, melancholic mood, Frank focuses on changing group dynamics when a collection of socially awkward artists come together and minds start to clash. It’s creative and quirky, while also showing how powerful a marketing tool Twitter is in this day and age. But at the same time it’s awkwardly serious about mental illness and as a result makes it’s an intense and unsettling viewing experience. So much of Fassbender’s performance relies on body language while the personalities of the other diverse band members carry the sad and frustrating plot along. Much of the story is based on writer, Jon Ronson’s, experiences playing in the ‘Oh Blimey Big Band’ while  the character of Frank combines elements of Captain Beefheart’s Daniel Johnston and Chris Sievey, from ‘The Freshies’.

Worth the money?

If you feel like a trippy road trip, then yes.