Told through the perspective of an affable, dorky English chap (Domhnall Gleeson) who happens into an eclectic, experimental band, spearheaded by a frontman who never removes his giant papier-mache head (Michael Fassbender, but you wouldn't know it), Frank is an offbeat comedy with unexpected weight to it.
The first half of the film is a solidly whimsical fish-out-of-water story, replete with jaunty, pizzicato strings and glockenspiel soundtrack, and an unrelenting stream of really well executed gags. However, it abruptly takes a dark turn, and veers into a too brief exploration of mental illness, wherein things which had previously been painted as twee and quirky are to be taken seriously. While the film lays some groundwork of unexplored disturbance (Fassbender does a sterling job, even under the massive head), the reveal feels jarring.
The film's insights into band politics and social media oversharing are spot-on, however, and character details surrounding them feel surprisingly authentic. This part of the film, where we're invited to witness the band's process, is as insightful and entertaining as Almost Famous, while feeling more relevant. With that said, when Frank aims to be a comment on artistic pretension and the blind pursuit of the experimental (case in point, the band's name: Soronprfbs), its aim is confused by the glaring (if sort of wonderful) weirdness of the film itself.
In cinemas 19 Jun
