Dear Frankie
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Movie Reviews of Dear Frankie
Movie Review: Beautiful, engaging, heartwarming
Summary: 5 Stars
I reluctantly saw this film at the urging of a group of friends. I'm an action and thriller junkie, but I had made a previous committment to go with them, so I had no choice. If I did not go, I would never hear the end of it, lol.
As the movie neared it's playing time, I said "another boring film". I thought about taking a nap, sticking my earphones in my ear, or feigning an excuse to leave. I did not want to see this film under any circumstances.
Once the movie started, I was slowly intrigued and drawn in as "Lizzie" packs her family's belongings, and sets out for a new town with her son "Frankie" and her mother, "Nell".
Frankie is a deaf, but extremely bright, happy and intelligent boy and yearns to see his father, who is estranged from the family. Lizzie has written letters to Frankie under the pretense that they are from his father, who is supposedly at sea.
The trio arrive in a working class seaside Scottish town, and are befriended by "Marie", who eventually playes an important role in their lives. Marie has an intense and outgoing personality, very opposite to Lizzie, but the two form a strong friendship.
Frankie gets settled and becomes familiar with his new surroundings, then goes to a new school. For a short moment, I felt as though I was walking in Frankie's shoes when he stepped foot into the classroom for the first time, to be examined by the curious and questioning eyes of new classmates. I know what it's like to be the "new kid in town", as I switched schools quite often when I was young. I felt for Frankie as he tried so hard to fit in and be accepted. His Deafness made it even harder for him to fit in, and his first few days in his new school, he experienced extreme isolation and alienation. Eventually, he was not only accepted, but respected by his peers as well. As the movie goes on, I tend to even forget that Frankie is deaf, since his other endearing qualities overshadow that fact.
As the story progresses, Lizzie meets with "The Stranger", played by Gerard Butler, and convinces him to play the role of Frankie's Father. "The stranger", with his cold, hard exterior, steely eyes and suspicious nature, would strike you as a hitman for hire, and not one to play the part of a father. Nevertheless, TS agrees to play the role, for a fee, then a meeting is set up. While everyone seems to embrace the idea, Nell is hesitant, and displays her disapproval in innocuos ways.
When Frankie and TS meet, at first it is awkward, and it appears that TS was going through the motions and wanted to get this overwith. Actually, the interaction between the two seems almost mechanical. Eventually, the two begin to enjoy spending time together, and Frankie is the only one in the film who can penetrate the icy exterior of TS. TS and Lizzie even begin to like each other over the course of time, but choose not to pursue a romantic relationship.
Eventually, it is time to say goodbye, and the farewell is real this time, no pretention, and heartbreaking. Honestly, when Frankie gave TS the wooden seahorse, I cried. This movie has the ability to penetrate all of your emotions, and not one of them is left without being touched in some way. While The Stranger makes you not like him when you first see him, you eventually connect with him, and it is sad to see him walk away.
I really appreaciated the fact that the movie, while set in current time, was not invaded by today's distractions such as cell phones, plasma TVs, IPODs, video game consoles and the like. The humble, simple surroundings really added to the story. While Lizzie's apartment was small, it had a warm and welcoming feel to it.
I also realized that a movie can be enjoyable without violence, sex and excess profanity. VERY well produced and directed. I really learned not to judge a film by it's name, but to go see it, then draw a conclusion.
I enjoyed this movie so much, I may go see it again while it is still playing, then I will not only buy a DVD for myself, but also as gifts for friends. THAT"S how much I loved this heartwarming and engaging film. I've also told a few people at work today to see it. Actually, one person has, and she loved it as well.
Do yourself a favor, go see this movie!! An unforgetable experience indeed!
Movie Review: SWEET ROMANCE INVOLVING MORAL DILEMMA
Summary: 5 Stars
A Scottish mom tries to maintain a relationship via post between her nine-year-old deaf son and a made-up father, while on the run from his real, abusive father. This won Best Picture at the Los Angeles Film Festival, awards at Heartland and Seattle International Film Festivals, two thumbs up from Ebert & Roper, and a rave review from Leonard Maltin. Independent director Shona Auerbach's brings a rare sensitivity to this her debut film.
Working mom Lizzie (Emily Mortimer - Two Brothers & A Bride, Disney's The Kid) is faced with the moral dilemma of either telling her son the truth: that his absent father was abusive to him, and that is why he is now deaf; or, propagating a lie - that his father is a sailor away at sea, who writes to him regularly, expressing his love for and interest in the boy - letters which she herself writes. And Frankie, her son (Jack McElhone - Young Adam), answers them, as he tracks the path of his dad's ship on a world map hanging by his bed. Lizzie keeps telling herself that she is going to stop writing the letters and tell him the truth; but she continues. When asked why, she says, "It's the only way I can hear his voice." You see, Frankie has never spoken, except through his letters.
This is an incredibly poignant film, which pulls on your heartstrings throughout. A crisis occurs one day when the ship that she told Frankie his father was stationed on actually shows up in port. One of the boy's friends makes a bet that his dad won't come see him; but Frankie accepts his bet, saying that he'll bring him to their next soccer match. Lizzie decides she can't let Frankie down, and that she will have to find someone to play the part of Frankie's dad for a day. After a failed attempt at finding someone in a sailors' bar, and a night of desperate depression, her friend Marie (Sharon Small - Inspector Lynley Mysteries) offers to help by giving her the name of a Stranger. The Stranger (Gerard Butler - Phantom Of The Opera, Attila) turns out to be more than Lizzie bargained for: not only is he the perfect "father" for Frankie, but she finds herself being drawn to him emotionally as well. There is a definite chemistry between Lizzie and the Stranger, and between the Stranger and Frankie.
Now she really does face a dilemma. She has spent years building walls around her heart and life to protect herself and her son from his abusive father, as well as trying to put miles between them and him. They are literally on the run as he continues to pursue them. Now, here is a Stranger asking her to let her walls down. What should she do? And what should she tell Frankie about his father?
There are no easy answers. She's going to have to give up some things in order to have certain other things. She's going to have to decide what's most important. That's not so simple in relationships where you're afraid of hurting the ones you love, and when you've been hurt and are afraid of being hurt again. I love these types of stories because they are like life: you have to give up something or someone you want for something or someone else you need or want more. Life is about choices. Will Lizzie make the right ones? It's a great dilemma, and a great film.
This is an honest story that unfolds naturally and leaves you wanting more. The performances are top-notch all the way around. Production values are high, as Auerbach realizes her vision perfectly. This is a little film with a big heart that will leave men longing for their fathers and women longing for Gerard Butler, the current heartthrob, as well as an excellent actor with a promising future.
Waitsel Smith
Movie Review: This was a terrific movie!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was not expecting much- just a couple hours of entertainment and hoping it would be as good as other "family" movies that I had recently watched- "Millions" and "Saint Ralph." Therefore, I was thoroughly amazed how moved I was by this film. It's simply one of the most touching films that I've seen in a long time.
I think that others have already ably discussed the plot so I'll just focus on the things that stuck out for me. (Some spoilers below). Firstly, there is the cast and the acting. I must admit that I'm a little smitten with Emily Mortimer's performance. Those big brown eyes of hers are exactly as "the Stranger" describes them "they pull you right in." Her "Lizzie" is a woman whose dreams failed her. She now lives strictly for the protection of her son, and is defensive towards everyone and everything. Her complete overreaction to her son and his friend rummaging through her closet reveals a woman desperately guarded about her life. We know she was not always like this- we see a picture of her on her wedding day- bright eyed and smiling, but only once during the movie do we get a glimpse of her former self when she hears her favorite song and her face just lights up! Ironically, her favorite song is about a girl dreaming of being swept away by an heroic knight, and we know that once upon a time Lizzie saw herself as that girl and that her "knight" ended up being a nightmare.
Jack McElhone plays "Frankie" so believably that I actually thought he was deaf. His face is so expressive. The look of love and pride that comes over his face when "the Stranger" tells him that he knew by reading Frankie's letters that he would like that book on marine life is heart melting. I found "Frankie" such a real and loveable character that I was dreading what I thought would be the inevitable- his discovering the truth about the letters. I did not want to see this little boy's heart being broke no matter how temporarily. However, to my surprise the movie actually handles that moment in a unique and touching manner. It's one of the great things about "Dear Frankie"- it does not play out as predictable as it appears it's going to be.
Likewise, the character of "the Stranger" is not presented in a predictable manner. I kept expecting some scene in which this character would reveal some dark secret from his past which would explain why he would spend two days playing dad to the son of a complete stranger. However, that doesn't happen. We are eventually informed why this man did this deed of enormous good will. One is that he's the brother of Lizzie's friend, but even more importantly he truly is a "kind, gentle man." I really liked this character, and Gerard Butler's performance was fantastic!
A sidenote on Gerard Butler- it's nice to see that there is at least one other actor under age 50, aside from Russell Crowe, who is capable of projecting an ADULT masculine image on screen. Once upon a time Hollywood promoted "real men" as actors- John Wayne, Gary Cooper, Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart, Marlon Brando, Henry Fonda, and too many others to list! Nowadays, with few exceptions like Mssrs. Crowe and Butler, Hollywood seems to promote perpetually boyish and almost effeminate male leads- Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Jake Gyllenhaal, Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, and the list of "boys" goes on and on. It's a sad state of affairs, so seeing an actor like Gerard Butler, who comes across on screen as a MAN not a boy, gives me some hope that the prettyboys have not completely taken over.
Movie Review: Poignant Tale of a Mother's Zealous Affection for Son...
Summary: 5 Stars
In a time of email, chatting, and text messaging, director Shona Auerbach transcends the power of written words on paper into an affectionate and poignant tale of a single parent's love for an only child. The altruistic affection of Lizzie (Emily Mortimer) tries to accommodate a normal childhood for her deaf son, Frankie (Jack McElhone), while trying to provide a safe and nourishing upbringing for him. Through this process she has created a father image for Frankie who always travels on the seven seas onboard the Accra. The only means of communication between Frankie and his fictionalized father is through letters, which his mother secretively writes.
What Frankie does not know is who his real father is, as Lizzie constantly tries with the help of her mother (Mary Riggans) to keep the secret alive through the made up sailor who provides Frankie with fatherly comfort. The film opens with Frankie and Lizzie preparing for a move to a Glasgow. In Glasgow, Frankie gets into trouble with a kid called Ricky (Sean Brown), who first tries to pick on him for being deaf, but Frankie is way too smart for a bully such as Ricky. However, Ricky continues to pester him and reveals that Accra is coming to town. This leaves Frankie slightly confused, as he does not understand why his father would not have told him. Ricky tries to capitalize on his confusion by making a bet that his father is not coming to Glasgow.
It is with much agony and pain that the mother tries to find a way to save the day for Frankie, as she knows about the bet and how it would make him feel on his upcoming birthday as well. Nonetheless, Lizzie comes up with a clever solution to hire a man to pretend to be Frankie's father, which would save Frankie's face and make him very happy. Meanwhile, Frankie's real father's family has located them, and also desire to see Frankie. This puts Lizzie under a very stressful situation, as she cannot run due to Frankie's pretend father's arrival while trying to hide the truth for him.
Initially Dear Frankie seems like a melodramatic story, but through Auerbach's attention to details and the minimal in each scene he raises the film far above average. The success rests completely within simplicity where the appearance and action of the characters reveals far more than just a presence. Every single character comes with words, but also actions consistent to their character. Auerbach brings the audience's attention to the actions of the characters and not the words. Furthermore, Frankie's deafness provides an analogy that suggests that what one see is more important than what one hears. In the scene where Lizzie visits the real father the audience can also see his actions, see him speak for himself, and see why Lizzie left him in the first place.
The many symbols within the film that come into play such as the letters, ship, deafness, and several others trigger reflexively thoughts that help driving the story in the right direction. In addition, one cannot forget to mention the cast's wonderful performances, as they brought out the necessary elements of human interaction and affection. Together these two are incorporated through clever scene framing that implement the mise-en-scene with a simplistic, yet inspiring intentions to provide a comprehensive view of a mother's zealousness to offer her son nurturing and affectionate care.
Movie Review: The Quiet Power of Love
Summary: 5 Stars
DEAR FRANKIE is one of those rare films that tell a story (by Andrea Gibb) with such minimal extraneous effects, keeping the line of the tale clear and unfettered by bathos, and results in an emotional experience for the viewer that creates a sense of empowerment and utter commitment. While much of this effect is due to the extraordinary talent of director Shona Auerbach (who also is the film's magical cinematographer!) and by the glorious musical score by Alex Heffes, this film boasts one of the finest casts assembled for a small movie.
Lizzie (Emily Mortimer) is an itinerant resident of various towns in Scotland, living with her 9 year old deaf ('he's a gifted lip reader!') son Frankie (Jack McElhone) and her cranky, endlessly smoking mother Nell (Mary Riggans): they travel to short-time stays to escape discovery by Lizzie's abusive husband Davey (Cal Macaninch). Out of love for Frankie, Lizzie has 'created' a father who is a sailor and always at sea and corresponds with Frankie through letters Lizzie herself writes and mails. Though Lizzie feels a bit guilty at carrying on this beneficent deceit and Nell is angered at her daughter's game, Frankie is happy knowing his father is a brave seaman who writes to him constantly.
One of Frankie's new schoolmates Ricky (Sean Brown) hears that Frankie's dad's ship is soon to anchor in their town and, supposing that Frankie doesn't have a real father, makes a wager with Frankie that his father won't show. Frankie accepts, tells his mother, and Lizzie panics, deciding to find a stranger to pose for pay as Frankie's dad for a day. Lizzie's friend Marie (Sharon Small) finds a man to fit the need for a stranger 'with no past, present, or future' (Gerard Butler) and the stranger consents to aid Lizzie's plight. On the day of the ship's arrival, Lizzie arranges for the stranger to come to her flat to surprise Frankie. The intial meeting is quiet and phenomenally and subtlely touching. Frankie and his 'Da' walk the streets, the seaside, the docks, attend Frankie's soccer game where Frankie is able to win the wager with Ricky, etc: slowly the stranger bonds with Frankie as sincerely as Frankie does with the stranger. Lizzie softens, allows the stranger one more day posing as Frankie's dad, and in one of the most poetic doorway encounters ever produced on film, heals her emotional instability with the stranger.
The ending holds surprises and other luminous encounters, each of which allow us to see the transformation in each of the characters, all due to the power of love. No Hollywood ending here, just an understated bit of reality that pulls strongly on the heartstrings - and few viewers can resist the pull. The performance by Jack McElhone is astonishingly fine as is the work of Emily Mortimer and Gerard Butler. The entire cast is committed to the vision of the director and the result is simply unforgettable. Highly recommended for all audiences. Grady Harp, July 05