Frank

[dr beat]

So hopefully the doc should be out soon then?

[Noodle Lizard]

Pretty shite overall, I thought.  It was okayish until they went to America and then it completely fell to shit.

I know very little about Frank Sidebottom, so I didn't really have that to contend with either.

[kidsick5000]

Hugely disappointed to the point of feeling cheated.
This feels like using someone else's image for their own means.
For the story it tells, they should have created another head design and name, not Frank's.
It feels like a huge disservice to Chris Sievey's story, especially the unmasked part which felt very tacked on and an unnecessary (and made up) reason to explain why he wore the head.

I like all the actors, but for the story needs to be more whimsical. It sort of hits that note with the German tourists but there's an uneasy feel to the rest of it because it's meant to be based on fact.

I don't know if this is what the Sievey family were expecting when they signed off on it (if they did) but it feels so unlike Frank Sidebottom while using his look and name, I'd be wondering if there was grounds for legal action.

Yes, the music is good and I really like I Love You All.

[Paaaaul]

I don't think you get it. The film is saying that all men in masks are the same, and it emphasises this by telling one story using the characters from another.

[Mary is not amused]

So hopefully the doc should be out soon then?

Unfortunately not.  It's turning out to be more working than the director originally expected:

I'm very much aware that when I started the project the original deadline for finishing and getting the film to you was this summer. I'm sorry to say that it's going to be delayed due to the sheer amount of work the film has become and the fact that it's largely just me doing everything rather than the team of people who would normally make a film of this scale.

[...]

The new deadline is basically when it's ready to send, it will be sent.

[kidsick5000]

I don't think you get it. The film is saying that all men in masks are the same, and it emphasises this by telling one story using the characters from another.

I get that. That message is quite blatant (and possibly presented better in the recent Batman films) but my main gripe is how they have used Frank Sidebottom's image.
It's very hard to explain...
For example, if they'd called the film Paul, and the lead was a mop-topped young man in a black turtleneck who kept holding his thumbs aloft and going "ooooooh" in songs, I doubt I'd have a problem.
Probably because it's clearly made up. It's a pretend version of Paul McCartney.
You could say, apply that rule to this and just accept it as pretend Frank Sidebottom.
But there's something off about the way they've used the Frank character. Almost like they are trading off the image while using it in such a way as they don't have to pay anyone for the rights.
Maybe I just feel it's too soon to fuck around with someone else's creation.

In short, it didn't work for me

[Mary is not amused]

I don't know if this is what the Sievey family were expecting when they signed off on it (if they did) but it feels so unlike Frank Sidebottom while using his look and name, I'd be wondering if there was grounds for legal action.

Almost like they are trading off the image while using it in such a way as they don't have to pay anyone for the rights.
Maybe I just feel it's too soon to fuck around with someone else's creation.

Sievey gave his blessing, so Ronson claims.

[kidsick5000]

Sievey gave his blessing, so Ronson claims.

Is there a suggestion that it may not be the case?

Also, given that Chris Sievey died 4 years ago, it's understandable that a screenplay could change massively from first draft to time of production.

It'll be interesting to see what those close to Frank thought of it

[Mary is not amused]

Is there a suggestion that it may not be the case?

That's how I read the sections I quoted.  Apologies for getting the wrong end of the stick.

EDIT: If you mean any doubt about Ronson's claim, then no, none that I'm aware of.  That was just me weasel wording because I have no supporting evidence either way.

Also, given that Chris Sievey died 4 years ago, it's understandable that a screenplay could change massively from first draft to time of production.

Indeed.

[Phil_A]

Saw this last night and found it utterly beguiling and beautiful, but also profoundly upsetting. I dunno that it's as good as Garage or What Richard Did, insofar as Lenny Abrahamson's work goes, but it's incredibly affecting, very funny in the earlier movements, and it has some of the most on-the-nose "songwriting" scenes that I've ever heard tell of anyone concocting. Plus, the songs are incredible. In any case, the last half hour or so near buckled me. But beautiful songs.

http://youtu.be/lgLPgAnxfJA

Just got round to seeing this, and I have to agree with everything DDM said here.

There was so much more going on in it than first appearances might've suggested, not only as a deconstruction of the "tortured artist" myth, but also of band films in general. All the way through, it's like the Jon character sees himself as the hero in one of those kind of stories, and it's ultimately it's his naïvety in trying to force Soronprfbs to conform to what he assumes is a typical narrative that destroys Frank and the band.

I also liked how critical it was of the emptiness of youtube celebrity and social media as a whole, although ironically it's exactly that kind of culture that allows mediocre wannabes like Jon to be successful despite evident lack of talent.

I actually think the connection to Sidebottom might've been ultimately detrimental, as it lead to a lot people pre-judging the film(I know I did) when it deserves to stand on it's own merits.

[Dex Sawash]

Liked it overall. Mixed bag though.  Did a netflix double feature of Frank followed by Robot and Frank.

Can't decide if Langella is always brilliant or always wooden.

[GeeWhiz]

I came away thinking, given young Master Gleeson was evidently the Ronson stand-in, the author must have major impostor syndrome. He was such a profoundly unlikeable protagonist. I'm not one of those people who necessarily finds that a problem, but was merely struck by the fact, given the flick's semi-autobiographical status.