Frank & Lola (2016) Reviews

• Everybody Loves Somebody

  ferguson-62016-12-08

  Greetings again from the darkness. Michael Shannon continues to be one of the most interesting actors working today. In this first feature from writer/director Matthew Ross, Mr. Shannon is the titular Frank, and his pained facial expressions elevate this neo-noir into a dark and intriguing exposition on male obsession and sexual jealousy. The abrupt opening scene finds Frank and Lola (Imogen Poots) frolicking in bed after obviously just meeting for the first time that evening. We (and Lola) know we are in for something a bit different when Frank slams on the breaks and states, "Maybe we should wait until next time." Lola is taken aback, and we are soon watching this relationship develop … while simultaneously noting the subtle signs of troubled pasts for each of them. Frank is a talented French chef and Lola is just starting her career as a fashion designer. His dark side flashes a bit more often, but before Lola ever comes clean, we realize there is unhappiness in her past. They seem to be two tortured souls in a jinxed relationship. Filmmaker Ross keeps us (and Frank) on our toes as the script seems to continually offer yet another deeply held secret or mysterious character. Justin Long plays Lola's new employer, while the rarely-seen-these-days Rosanna Arquette plays Lola's name-dropping mother. However, it's Michael Nyquist (so great in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) as the suave Frenchman with ties to Lola's past and present that really makes things interesting … and somehow even darker. His wife is played by the terrific French actress Emmanuelle Devos. Her screen time is limited, yet crucial. The film was well received at Sundance, and it shares the creepiness of such films as Basic Instinct, Body Heat and Night Moves. Rarely do contemporary movies go as deep into the male psyche of obsession as this one, and the throw-back atmosphere is a perfect fit for the tone. Not many actors simmer like Michael Shannon, and the story offers him the perfect vehicle to remind us that everyone longs to be loved - even when we aren't sure we deserve it.

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• A character-driven thriller

  jdtdwp2016-11-19

  Frank & Lola is essentially a story about the relationship between the two main characters, Frank and Lola. To give anymore details about the plot would be to spoil major events in the film, which are better left unexpected. Having seen a fair share of thrillers, this movie does not have a lot of new plot points to show. However, the way characters play them out is what brings this movie above an average thriller. Michael Shannon and Imogen Poots understand their characters quite well and have great on-screen chemistry. Even the secondary characters all play their roles convincingly. When I saw Justin Long had a small part in this movie, I thought I would hate his character since he usually cannot play a dramatic role well. But he plays a sleazy business man and does a fine job. To pinpoint the genre of this film is nearly impossible. It is definitely a thriller on some levels, but not wholly. There are good romance scenes but also heavy dramatic dialogue. There are traces of film-noir but not enough to consider it a modern noir. The film struggles a bit because it tries to fit so many elements in such a short time. From a technical standpoint, the team did not try to do anything out of the ordinary. The direction was good. Cinematography was quite basic. The editing was standard except for one scene where there was a strange editing choice that didn't seem the fit with the flow of the movie. If you don't normally pay attention to the technical side of film, you probably won't notice anything inherently wrong. Overall, if you like thrillers in general or character-driven stories with some depth to them, this is a good indie film to check out.

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• Dysfunctional Relationships Have Never Been This Disturbing

  horitaj2017-02-04

  "Frank and Lola" is a an independent romance drama thriller directed by Matthew Ross, and starring Michael Shannon (Frank), Imogen Poots (Lola), and Justin Long (Keith). The film follows the characters of Frank and Lola. Frank is an uptight chef who takes pride in his cooking and the culinary arts, and Lola is a young eccentric woman who makes dress designs. The film starts with the two in their relationship and as the film goes on explains how the two actually met. One night Lola comes home crying telling Frank that she "made a mistake." This is where the film takes a dark turn and gives us an eerily disturbing look at what a dysfunctional relationship can be like. Right off the bat the acting is great. Shannon was perfect as the character of Frank, this obsessed, uptight and disturbing individual. Shannon was on fire in 2016 with "Midnight Special", "Elvis & Nixon", and "Nocturnal Animals", and this film just shows how much of a great actor he really is. Poots was great as Lola, her performance really sold the role and was done very well. Justin Long was good in the movie too as this obnoxious, wealthy, charismatic douche. The cinematography in the film was beautiful. In a way the film looked very much like a Nicolas Winding Refn film (specifically "Only God Forgives" and "The Neon Demon") There was a lot of bright reds, yellows, and blues, it was gorgeous to look at and never took me out of the film.Matthew Ross proves to be a very stylized director with great vision and execution. He makes time to develop every character in the film no matter how big or small their role was, and justifies the characters actions. A few issues I had was the relationship between the two characters of Frank and Lola. Their relationship is never really explored on why they "love" each other so much and how they're still able to be together when all these awful things start happening to them. Another issue is that the film gets a little repetitive during the halfway mark which made me question the believability of "that" happening twice. Overall "Frank and Lola" is a well executed film with great performances by Michael Shannon and Imogen Poots, and a great directorial debut for Matthew Ross.

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• I feel for Frank but don't understand him

  Gordon-112017-03-17

  This film tells the story of a Las Vegas chef, who has a beautiful girlfriend. One day, he discovers that she is cheating on him. She explains the unfortunate truth, and he decides to sell revenge from the perpetrator. "Frank & Lola" shows interesting characters who are real and relevant to daily lives. Frank wants to protect his girlfriend from harm, and would do anything to achieve that. The girlfriend Lola, on the other hard, appears to be vulnerable and victimised. As the story goes on, more truth is unveiled, but viewers are left to wonder what exactly is the truth. I sympathise with Frank, but don't understand him.

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• Frank & Lola (2016)

  rockman1822017-06-20

  I've heard of this film but never decided to check it out. Now that I sometimes go the library (who even does this?) to rent movies I saw it and picked it up. The first intriguing thing about this film were all the very positive reviews for the director, the cast, the style and the deliver of the plot. I don't see Imogen Poots in many things but there is definitely talent there. Don't get me started on Michael Shannon. He blows you away in Take Shelter, and did a fantastic job on Boardwalk Empire. The pairing seemed a little odd at first but you soon realize how greatly they are able to complement each other. This film is about a jealous and possessive man and a damaged and lonely girl who fall for each other and their oft volatile relationship when its being tested. Frank (Shannon) starts suspecting Lola of an affair and it starts to consume him, while Lola (Poots) tries to cover what she's doing by not being straight up with Frank. Problems ensue, and we are in for a pretty riveting time. I'm not going to praise Shannon anymore but I do have to say he is great in a inquisitive and jealous lover role. Lies are exposed and you can't help but feel a connection with both leads despite their very overt flaws. Director Matthew Ross is clearly influenced by a few directors works and it shows. I got a few Brian De Palma and Hitchcock feels although many others would probably claim different influences. The films is slightly erotic, moody, and makes you question what the truth is. Ross never really outwardly lays the plot in front of you and let it marinate. Each minute that goes by you can't help but second guess what you previously thought. Its a really promising debut for someone that I've previously never heard of. The film is quite short but a satisfying portrayal of a relationship that is marred by jealousy, paranoia, and angst. It's not exactly what I expected but I did really enjoy this outlook. Relationships are not always easy peasy and sometimes its nice to get a take of a film that revolves around sex and the possibility of cheating, Seek this one out and watch it, its worth your time. 7.5/10

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