Frank: film review ★★★★★

If you’re looking for something a little quirky to curl up with, you probably can’t do much better than offbeat comedy Frank, a witty, bleak film from Irish director Lenny Abrahamson (What Richard Did, Adam & Paul and Garage).

The story follows the travails of struggling musician Jon (played by Domhnall Gleeson) who finds himself out of his depth when he joins an unusual pop band led by the eccentric and enigmatic Frank (Michael Fassbender), a musical genius who hides inside a giant fiberglass head, and his scary theremin-playing band mate Clara (Maggie Gyllenhaal). Based on a memoir by Ronson, it is a fictional tale loosely inspired by Frank Sidebottom, the persona of music and comedy legend Chris Sievey, as well as other ‘outsider’ musicians.

Written by the team behind British war comedy The Men Who Stare at Goats, writers Jon Ronson and Peter Straughan (the latter also co-wrote espionage film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), the film premiered at Sundance to rave reviews and boasts a brilliant cast that includes Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Scoot McNairy.

Frank pays homage to irreverent art with passion: a wacky, dark comedy about fame, innocence in the digital age and the pursuit of true originality.