Franklyn Review

Franklyn is a film about the mind. Although, you wouldn't think it from the way this thing has been advertised. In every trailer there is for this film they show a lot of footage of a Rorschachian character prancing around a huge Gothic city beating the shit out of guards. The actual film has about two minutes of that stuff in it. So if you were looking forward to some epic fight scenes just don't bother, you'll get nothing but disappointment. I should know, I was looking forward to it too.

So, if not an action film, what is Franklyn? It's a deep psychological thriller full of dialogue, written by the director. It's also contrived as hell.

The film's plot centres around four characters. The first is the aforementioned Rorschach look-a-like who is named Jonathan Priest, and resides in the fictional location of Meanwhile city. Meanwhile city is a bizarre satire on religion where each citizen must be part of a faith. Sadly, what could have been a nice metaphor, or even a cohesive story-telling device, is never expanded on.

The other characters within Franklyn all stem from well-worn stereotypes. The troubled artist, the lonely divorcee, and the troubled parent all form the brunt of the plot, and take up three quarters of Franklyn's runtime. Before you ask, the story lines barely have any new elements, barring Franklyn's conclusion. Which is nonsensical rubbish.

Other than plotting, script, and to a certain extent, direction, Franklyn is a fairly polished film. The acting is well done, and neatly edited, the film's special effects are at times breath-taking, and the sound is well-realised.

The saddest thing is, it would be easy to make this film a genuine classic. If the script was loosened slightly, the writer took himself a little less seriously, and the entire first act of the film was cut, Franklyn would be a neat little film. Nothing too pretentious, or obtrusive. However, that was not to be. As it stands Franklyn is a pretentious piece of garbage that wastes it's money shots on a half-interesting plot-line and misleads it's audience from the start. Don't bother with it.

4/10