Being Frank

I was worried by the 5.6 rating but that's not the reality of this movie. It's well put together, complex, funny and fun. Jim Gaffigan is perfect as the two timing dad, he pulls it off with believable self unawareness, clumsily but surely getting himself into and out of tight spots. All the cast were good and it was a clever and complicated set up to pull off. Writing, editing and directing this piece wouldn't have been easy so full credit for a well executed end product. The film ending was the least strong part of the story but really where could it have gone and remained believable? It was left a little open ended, and that's probably for the best, although the happy ending junkies that we are would have hoped for a tidy finish, the one they chose left you to think a little after the movie finished.

This film tells the story of a young man who discovers that his father has another family.

The plot may sound sad and offensive, but the film is actually quite funny. Even though the father has committed such an act, the film portrays him sympathetically and makes you feel for him. It is quite a feat to turn a monstrous life of lie into a comedy.

I was more than a bit suspect coming into this film, having seen the trailer and having a general idea of the plot. That said, a fairly bizarre story unfolds in a unique and somewhat creative way, and so I have to give the filmmaker a bit of credit for that.

To me, it goes a bit off the rails near the end... that's not completely fair, it's amusingly off the rails almost from the start. But while I appreciated the creativity of the first 2/3 of the film, much of the last 40 minutes becomes contrived and dopey.. Too bad; there really was a fair amount of witty dialogue and uncomfortably awkward humor to carry the story, and I had hopes that this might turn into a hidden gem. But where it eventually goes was, to me, disappointing. I really wish they had written this a better ending. So we'll say "I liked it, but it wasted its truest potential and settled for slightly above average." So it gets a 6.

Comedy about a man living a double life with two families for 20 years? Movies with such serious seeming themes are not made for comedies. Walking the line if a tough act which, when accomplished, usually results in classic type black comedies. In this case Frank's writers pull it off in fun and also serious fashion. Son Philip and dad Frank are both likeable and do well acting. The remainder of the cast also does well. The writer(s) win the day crafting a dandy back story and current goings on. Frank's effort to convince his son Philip that he did the 'right' thing, embarking on a double life, given the circumstances. What else was a man to do!

The writers missed a final fun twist. They could have had wife #2 announce her first child was not Franks removing a major obstacle to sibling love.

That aside, well done!

I really enjoyed this clever comedy about Frank, and its deep dive down the rabbit hole of the life of a creative bigamist. The script and characters are hilarious, and I knew from the moment the plot and cast were revealed in the trailer that this was going to be a riproaring little gem. This is the directorial debut for Miranda, and it's great to see a female director and Skidmore alum step up and excel with such a bold film. Don't miss it!