Here’s one of the more unusual ideas to come to movie screens in quite some time. Frank casts Michael Fassbender in a role that forces the actor’s face to be obscured beneath an enormous mask for the majority of the running time. Yes, it’s a very unusual movie and there are a few strange turns in the story. However, the title character is so fascinatingly bizarre that the film constantly holds your interest.
Jon (Domhnall Gleeson) is a aspiring songwriter of questionable talent trying to break into the music industry. When he accidentally stumbles upon the experimental indie band Soronprfbs, he’s asked to fill in as a keyboardist. There, he’s introduced to Frank (Fassbender), the eccentric band leader who wears an oversized papier-mâché head… and never takes it off. Jon meets with plenty of suspicion from other members of the band (including Maggie Gyllenhaal, Francois Civil and Carla Azar) who seem overly protective of Frank. Regardless, the band leader invites the young man to join them as they head to Ireland to record their latest album.
The first half of the film is extremely funny as Jon navigates the very unusual personalities within the group. His conversations with Frank add a great deal of amusement. One of the funniest running gags is the fact that Jon and the audience have no idea what the main member looks like. It leads to a great sight gag when the protagonist finds an opportunity to get a look behind the mask. And there are some interesting moments as a fascinated Jon attempts to learn from a man he perceives as a creative genius and subtly attempt to instill his own creative ideas within the group. There are a few small melancholy scenes that make a strong emotional impact, mostly between the young musician and the band’s manager Don (Scoot McNairy).
However, there is a strange tonal shift in the final third of the movie from comedy to drama that is quite severe. Additionally, for much of the running time audiences are led to believe that the goal of the band is to complete and release an album. Yet after the completion of recording sessions, the group quickly move on and little mention is made of the record from that point forwards. It’s here where the movie takes a much darker approach – positions and relationships within the band begin to fracture and the Jon’s attempts to make the band famous lead to some unintended complications.
While it initially appears as an unexpected and inharmonious tonal shift, upon reflection it ultimately makes sense for all of the characters involved. The intent isn’t the music itself but to reveal a clearer and more enlightening picture of why these oddballs are making music. While the portrait it paints is dark at times, the movie ultimately succeeds in doing so in both an intriguing and thought-provoking manner.
The music itself is quirky and experimental but catchy (with the final number packing a surprisingly emotional punch). It’s all the more shocking considering the tunes are actually performed by the cast. This is a music-centric effort that strays a bit from the beaten path, exploring motivations as to why people create music, and exposing that sometimes our perceptions of an artist are completely off-base. One could even examine the mask as a strange form of pubic persona for a performer. At any rate, Frank is an extremely unusual picture that, like its characters, sometimes behaves in an unexpected manner. It is incredibly odd, but it is also difficult to forget and sticks around in the head long after the credits roll – an admirable accomplishment.