SXSW Review: 'Frank,' Starring Michael Fassbender Wearing a Giant Fake Head, Totally Rocks

TOH
BY BETH HANNA
MARCH 11, 2014 12:53 PM

Michael Fassbender and Domhnall Gleeson in 'Frank'

In Lenny Abrahamson’s lovely film ‘Frank,’ Jon (Domhnall Gleeson) is a would-be musician who works an office job by day. It’s possible he doesn’t have a lot of talent.

He struggles with trite lyrics in his head and with equally trite tunes on his keyboard. One day he happens to be on the beach at the right moment (“right” being relative, mind you) when the keyboardist for an eccentric pop band is attempting to drown himself. Thus Jon is invited to become the new keyboardist. He heads up to a bucolic Irish cottage to help record a new album with the band, which includes Don (Scoot McNairy), Clara (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and the mysterious if affable Frank (Michael Fassbender), who wears a gigantic, smiley helmet-mask over his face and apparently never takes it off.

What seems like the opportunity of a lifetime turns out to be much different than that, as Jon discovers that one or more members in the band may have legitimate problems. This is where Abrahamson’s film pushes beyond the typical band-movie tropes and becomes a moving portrait of artistic passion on the verge of madness and complete dysfunctionality. It’s also very funny, sometimes in a light-hearted way, and often in a darker way.

As Jon slowly realizes his bandmates are bonkers, he’s also busily at work attempting to transition them from obscurity to internet fame. He tweets about their progress on the album (his Twitter followers slowing going up), he posts videos on YouTube, and eventually nabs an invite for them to play at -- dun da DUN -- the South by Southwest Festival.

What I found fascinating is the connection Abrahamson draws between our internet age of audience engagement and the means by which bands, films, whatever attempt to draw attention and a fanbase. We live in a highly distracted culture that often necessitates gimmicks and stunts to attract followers, page hits, video views, what have you. Frank’s gigantic helmet would indeed seem like a stunt, as do a number of other things that play out in the film. But is it? Or is it the elephant in the room suggesting something much more concerning going on?


READ MORE HERE: http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/frank-review-sxsw-michael-fassbender-lenny-abrahamson

And on vocals and Fender Telecaster... it's Fassbender! (INDEPENDENT)

They sounded like any band in a Dublin rehearsal room. But there was something quite extraordinary about the five-piece outfit heard running through their set in a city centre rehearsal space this week.

Their lead singer is Oscar-nominated actor Michael Fassbender – star of movie Shame – and his backing band included rising Irish movie talent Domhnall Gleeson and Carla Azar, Jack's White percussionist, on drums.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_Jm9u4Znr4

However, this band were not rehearsing for a gig in Whelan's, but a starring role in director Lenny Abrahamson's new Irish movie Frank.

"Fingers crossed, my keyboards make it to the soundtrack and I don't get replaced in the mix. They might just be saying to me 'you sound great' before they get a real keyboard player in to replace me," Domhnall Gleeson told The Diary.

Co-star Michael Fassbender could be more confident about his vocals and guitar, having once fronted a heavy metal band in his hometown of Killarney as a teenager.

READ MORE:http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/and-on-vocals-and-fender-telecaster-its-fassbender-3326525.html

Michael Fassbender and Domhnall Gleeson team up for music comedy Frank (GUARDIAN)

The film, from Garage's Lenny Abrahamson, will star Fassbender as an eccentric musician and Harry Potter's Gleeson as the new bandmate in over his head

Ben Child
guardian.co.uk

Charismatic Irish rocker ... Michael Fassbender at the Venice 2012 film festival. Photograph: Max Rossi/Reuters

Michael Fassbender and Domhnall Gleeson will star as as an off-the-wall musician and a young man who joins his band in Frank, from Garage director Lenny Abrahamson.

Abrahamson's film centres on Jon (Gleeson), who discovers he has bitten off more than he can chew when he joins an eccentric band led by the mysterious and enigmatic title character (Fassbender). Written by Jon Ronson and Peter Straughan, the Film 4 production has also received funding from the Irish Film Board. It is due to shoot in late 2012.

Ronson took to Twitter today in the wake of the announcement to deny suggestions that Fassbender's character is based on his former collaborator Frank Sidebottom, the Manchester-based comic and musician whose papier-mâché-headed persona was popular on northwest television throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. Chris Sievey, who performed as Sidebottom, also fronted the band the Freshies in the late 1970s and early 80s.

"Hey! The film isn't a film about Frank Sidebottom. It's totally made up and - whilst inspired by Frank - is inspired by other people too," tweeted Ronson. "Daniel Johnston and Captain Beefheart are other inspirations. Bowled over that Michael Fassbender and Domhnall Gleeson are in our film."

READ MORE: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/sep/05/michael-fassbender-domhnall-gleeson-frank