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Frank was another film festival favorite this year that I unfortunately missed at both Sundance and SXSW. The film generated a lot of early buzz in Park City thanks to Michael Fassbender’s (X-Men: Days of Future Past) character, the titular Frank, appearing in a large papier-mache head, but quickly gained acclaim for the lead performances from Domhnall Gleeson (Star Wars Episode VII), Maggie Gyllenhaal (The Dark Knight), and Fassbender.

Frank follows Jon (Gleeson), an aspiring musician who joins Frank’s band, Soronprfbs, as they put together a string of shows and songs to gain a performance slot at SXSW. While Frank is a fictional story, it finds inspiration from real-life musicians, such as Daniel Johnston, Captain Beefhart, and late comedian Chris Sievy’s fictional persona, Frank Sidebottom, who was known for wearing a similar papier-mache head during performances. 

Frank will be released in limited theaters on August 15th.

Poster for the film Frank