(non-spoiler review)
Sweet…unassuming….wonderful. Dear Frankie is a film that I was really disappointed to have missed on the big screen. Thanks to the wonder of Netflix, however, we were able to sit down this past weekend and partake of this delightful film.
Dear Frankie is the story of 9 yr-old Frankie Morrison. Frequently on the move, for reasons revealed later in the film, young Frankie, his mother, and grandmother have just arrived in a small seaside Scottish town. There Frankie has to adjust to a new school, new friends, and a new life. The only thing steady in his life are letters from his father whom he has never met. The only problem with this is that this father, a sailor aboard the ship A.C.C.R.A., doesn’t exist. The letters that Frankie sends to his “father” are actually read and replied to by his mother. The lie is about to be exposed, however, when the newspaper announces the imminent arrival of Frankie’s dad’s ship. Instead of taking this opportunity to share with Frankie the truth about the letters and his real father, Frankie’s mother goes in search of a man to play the role. The rest of the story unfolds as Frankie’s faux father enters the picture and forever changes Frankie’s world.
Dear Frankie is simply marvelous. It is a subtle film, reminding me a great deal of Mostly Martha in its pacing and direction. Unlike American romantic comedies Dear Frankie, though not entirely unpredictable, is much less formulaic in its approach to telling the story. And a terrific story it is. Written by Andrea Gibb and directed by Shona Auerbach, in her feature length directorial debut, Dear Frankie is heartwarming, charming, and enchanting. The relatively small cast could not have been better. Emily Mortimer brings depth and dimension to the role of Frankie’s mother. She’s fantastic. Gerard Butler does a fantastic job in the role of the stranger picked to be Frankie’s father. He is brooding and mysterious and able to deftly convey the effect that Frankie has on him. And young Jack McElhone as Frankie is superb. He is a first rate actor and amazes with his performance. The onscreen chemisty between all the characters is so good that you could easily become convinced that you’re watching a documentary rather than people acting out roles.
The music and cinematography are terrific and fit the story so perfectly. The color palette used reflects the sentiment of the film so well. This is a wonderfully crafted film.
I highly recommend that you watch the trailer and then go out and rent this charmer of a film. My thirteen year old daughter watched it last night and told me “That film is really sad. We should buy it.” High praise indeed. And while there are moments that bring a tear to your eye this film really does make you feel good.
sounds good.. i’ll have to check it out!
Thanks, I’ll have James put it on the list!
The little ‘making of’ featurette on the disk is very enjoyable as well.
I loved this movie too! Of course, it never made it to the theatre in the small town in which I live, but I greedily grabbed it up when it came out on video, and it is indeed a film to be savoured. Good call.
They talked about it in France, and then they stopped talking about it. No idea if it’s been released or not, here, yet.
And hey, it’s Scottish: bound to be good…!
i kinda want to see this but had to promise the significant other that i wouldn’t make him watch it, ever. so someday…
Jenn See, you need to tell him to broaden his horizons, this is a great film! It is a touching film but it isn’t saccharine sweet or anything. Its actually quite good and addresses father/son relationships on some level.
Anne, I agree, I just love Scottish accents. The only warning I would place on this film is it takes a few minutes to adjust to the dialogue as the accents are quite authentic but once you get the rhythm down it is very easy to understand.
Jay, it was here but only in a few theatres and I made the mistake of thinking it would last longer than it did. I hate it when I miss smaller, independent films that I want to see at the box office as I like to support independent films as well as the theatres that take a chance on them.
Sounds great. I will definitely rent it. Of course I was on the fence about trying it based on just your recommendation but after your daughter gave it a thumbs up that sealed it. 🙂
Just kidding buddy!
I loved this movie. The soundtrack was really amazing as well. I had a huge crush on the boyfriend/pseudofather.
Sure Jeff, you are probably one of those who feels my movie reviewing credibility is shot since I enjoyed Stealth and The Island…the two biggest tank jobs of the summer! 🙂
I’ll have to include my daughter’s thoughts from now on just to build my movie cred back up!
There’s a fun idea for a topic. Movies that were critical or box office bombs that we enjoyed.
I remember watching Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty’s ” Ishtar ” and liking it. I’m sure it ranks as one of Hollywood’s all time biggest bombs.
I may use that one later, Jeff! Thanks! Have to admit that I’ve never seen Ishtar.
Megan, I was wondering about the soundtrack. The music seemed so good that I figured the soundtrack would be an enjoyable one.
Just finished a second viewing, the first with my daughter, and its even better the second time through. Its amazing watching this with the realization that this was the director’s first feature film. In watching the extras I found out that she also lit the entire film and her husband did the camera work. Its just amazing. The color palette is very muted and they make even the average, mundane parts of Scotland resonate with a melancholy beauty.
I can’t believe I neglected to mention Sharon Small who was fantastic in a very pivotal role in the film. Both Sharon Small and Emily Mortimer have a very unconventional beauty and their characters have such a wonderful friendship in the film.
Did I mention that you should watch this?
I agree that Charlie and the Chocolate factory was done better the Willy wonka as well . I really enjoyed Tim Burtons version of the book a lot better 🙂 Which really did surprize me .
Thanks for stopping by and commenting at my place earlier 🙂
No problem, thanks for coming over here as well. Now if I could just find the time to read the book I would could be more authentic with my defense of Burton’s version!
I can’t wait to see this one! Michele sent me this time”-)
Never even heard of it. And I’m usually on top of what comes out. But I’ll check it out because of you. Thank you, Netflix!
No doubt, Netflix is the bomb! Thank you to all of my friends who kept encouraging me to get on the Netflix bandwagon!
so since you have all these people interested in this GREAT film, YOU BETTER BUY IT SOON DON’T YOU THINK!!!!!(buy peter pan while you’re at it, not the cartoon one though)
Mom and I will start saving up your allowance money to buy both of these films so you’ll be happy. 🙂
Cool, I’m looking forward to this one. Reminds me a little of Millions. Seen it?
I’ve seen Millions which was WONDERFUL and time slipped away from me for posting on it so I’ve been waiting on that one until the DVD is out to do a review so that people can rush out and see it…it really is a must see in my opinion.