leethomas-11621 Parody that unfortunately plays on our feelings. Hard to believe that main character Jon (despite film's title) is intrigued by these characters. Well-acted, direction and production good but film's purpose escapes me. Maybe reading Jon Ronson's original article that inspired the film would help.

SquigglyCrunch Frank follows an aspiring musician who gets recruited by a band led by an eccentric lead singer who wears a paper mache head. For starters this is a very unique movie, much more so than I expected. It seems like everyone is just a little insane, and it gives the movie a cartoonish, somewhat over-the-top vibe that I really enjoyed seeing. And yet it was still realistic. The characters are relatable in some ways, and most all of them are a lot of fun to watch. The way the movie decides to use comedy is always very natural. It never goes out of it's way to make jokes, but rather uses a lot of comedic imagery as it comes. It uses Frank's paper mache head in this way often, and thus it never feels out of place because this guy wears the head everywhere. It knows what it is and uses that fact to it's advantage. And when it isn't imagery, it's from the characters and it still works incredibly well. Probably the best aspect of the movie is the characters. Yes, they're a lot of fun, but there is plenty of emotional investment in them too. Despite their instabilities, I completely fell in love with them. Most of them seem to go deeper than what the audience sees, save for maybe two of them, whom I often forgot about. Regardless, they weren't unlikable characters so it was mostly forgivable. The music is actually pretty good. It all sounds very unique, and it does a great job of selling the motives of the main characters to create different music, or sometimes even use psychology to make great music. Furthermore, the soundtrack is great for the movie, as everything is already so weird that normal music just wouldn't work. Overall Frank is great. The characters, the acting, the comedy, the music, everything is great. It's a blast to watch and I can't wait to see it again. In the end I would definitely recommend this movie.

Koustubh Bhattacharya Last time a movie kept me awake at night was The Ring. Horror movies can do that but can a comedy film do that to you? Frank did, for completely different reasons. I could not bring myself to write a review for about a month. Kept telling myself, it's not going to be easy. Its not hard to tell you the story but to describe the incredibly layered symbolism is tricky. If I tell you that its about a bunch of post-industrial experimental rock musicians making music in a cabin in the woods then you might think its just another indie hipster band docudrama. Then you should know that Michael Fassbender plays the lead singer of the band who wears a fake head all the time. Sounds quirky right? Now why would an A list star take a role in a movie that doesn't let him show his face for the entirety of the film? Because Fassbender can act with his body. Now you might think that's really not helpful but you really need to watch the movie to experience what I'm talking about. It's insane! Did I tell you about Maggie Gyllenhaal's theremin playing role in this movie? She can pull off those nutty characters so well. Talking of insanity, Frank is an inner journey to discover whether madness is elemental to creativity. Can true art be produced without going crazy? Or is it that all artistic geniuses are born with mental issues? The answer is not very encouraging for the emotionally balanced "intellectuals" who try to measure art through popular conventions. Frank shows a remarkable insight into creative minds and the eccentricity that is sometimes uncontrollable. Why do die-hard fans lose interest in a band when they get too commercial? Because they can't find the insanity and heart in the music anymore. There is only so much creativity you can tap in once you turn your art into a factory produced product. Frank hit me in the place where it hurts the most. My own failed music career. None of my band members were ever so insane and naturally gifted. Makes me wonder if this what it takes to make really good music? It completely disarms you. If you are a struggling musician then probably don't watch this movie because you might throw your guitar or piano or drum kit in the river the next day. As for me, I'm already retired. I just had to watch Our Idiot Brother to shake off my mood. But Frank made me laugh too. There were some familiar moments and I felt at home with the characters. They were all so flawed and unhinged. Like some modern spiritual successors of 'I am the Walrus'. Frank also made me cry because it brought back some memories. People cried when Led Zeppelin reunited for one last time also when Nirvana played at their Hall of Fame induction. These are happy moments but they are also emotional ones. Reunions always are.

KineticSeoul For the audiences wanting this to be a bio-pic of Frank Sidebottom where his mannerism and characteristics is nailed down to a T will be left disappointed. However if you want to watch a movie that revolve around weird and strange characters and yet intriguing. Or a movie that is influenced by Frank Sidebottom, you just might enjoy this film. This movie sort of reminded me of a more indy version of "Almost Famous" except with weirder characters and scenarios. And unlike "Almost Famous" the narrator isn't the innocent boy who is looking into what being in a real band is like. But the innocent character is actually Frank the lead singer who is this socially awkward guy that is uncomfortable around many people. To my surprise this movie does have few genuinely funny moments as well and doesn't fall too much into the dark and depressing areas when it comes to the human mind. On the exterior it might seem like a movie about a bunch of hipsters. But it also delves into the pretentiousness of what people may call art and how easily some people can fall into a farse by looking for a deeper meaning. And it also adds modern touches when it comes to the influences of the internet, such as sites like Youtube. The music on the other hand is pretty bad to put is plainly, but the movie is not about the music. But the drive of the characters and what makes them tick. As a matter of fact watching this movie was like watching a group that is part of a psych ward. It's about the narrators self realization by delving into reality and seeing things for what it really is. So although the title says Frank, but the movie is not really about Frank. Frank is more of a concept that the narrator is trying to chase after. Overall this is a in-depth movie that is worth checking out.8/10