Frantic
Ford plays an American doctor whose wife suddenly vanishes in Paris. To find her, he navigates a puzzling web of language, locale, laissez-faire cops, triplicate-form bureaucrats and a defiant, mysterious waif who knows more than she tells.
Member Reviews
One of Polanski's Good Ones - c4th
Imagine yourself in the washroom of a high class hotel in Paris France preparing for an evening out. The doorbell sounds and you are surprised to find your wife has left the room. You fall asleep from jet lag and when you wake up your wife is still missing. This is the premise on which Frantic, starring Harrison Ford, begins. Once again Roman Polanski has masterfully taken a simple idea and set up a situation on which to build an entertaining thriller.
Doctor Richard Walker struggles with language and cultural differences as he tries to convince French authorities to take his predicament seriously. He eventually becomes frustrated enough to take the matter into his own hands and ensues on an adventure involving smuggling and espionage.
Polanski films occasionally run a little flat through the middle but this one holds up by advancing the plot at a reasonable pace. A tense rooftop scene and a sexy dance number are among the many elements that sufficiently engage its viewers. Walker’s dance partner is an immature and brattish young adult caught up in a smuggling caper played by Polanski’s wife, Emmanuel Siegneur, in her first English role. Their frantic search for Walker’s wife (Betty Buckley) is filled with suspense appropriately seasoned by mild humour. Another Strong performance from the talented Harrison Ford adds to the quality of the film and makes it a worthwhile watch.Among Polanski's Finest. - JasonTHX
The movie starts out perfect. We pass along the streets of Paris during early dawn hours just when the strret lights are about to flick off and the sky is a dark blue turning to light. It's a series of moments any late night traveller will realate to. That's why the opening moments of "Frantic" are so effective. Early on in the movie a seemingly main character disappears, and she is kept hidden throughout the remainder of the movie. Much like the true main character we don't know any more then he does. We go on a series of dicoveries with him, when he dicovers a clue, we discover it, when he recieves information we recieve it too and that's why "Frantic" works so well. Most thrillers will let the audience "in" on the scheme or plot. We become witness to secret meetings and plans of bad guys. In "Frantic" we don't know who the bad guys are or even if there are any bad guys. That's what makes Frantic unique.
Roman Polanski employed similiar storytelling techniques to his classic "Chinatown" in which we uncovered a mystery the same time Jack Nicholson's Jake Gittes did as well. In doing so we become more invested in the story.
Using a washed out, grey, concrete look for Paris instead of the usual million lights shing in the sky dazzling Paris we always see, Polanski creates an environment crushing to it's main character.
Harrison Ford is great in the title role. It takes a skilled, relatable actor to bring us along and care and Ford pulls it off. His costar is a young, sexy parasian waif dressed in black leather with curious eyes that possibly knows more than she let's on. We're not sure. But Emmanuelle Seigner is blindingly sultry as Ford's companion in solving the mystery of the missing person.
The Movie is not knot-in-your-stomach suspenseful, but it does cast a small spell and Ennio Morricone's rich, atmospheric score enhances the suspense.
It's a classy, stylish thriller that needs a better DVD release.Probably Ford's finest as an actor - XTRUClerk
I was late for a showing of Frantic when it was in the theater. The girl at the snack counter told me I hadn't missed much as I picked up some pop-corn. I told her it didn't matter as I had seen the movie once before, which seemed to shock her. Going into the theater I saw why: I had the room to myself, and this with the movie only two weeks in the theater. Frantic is probably my favorite Harrison Ford film. It's the only film in which he's allowed to be human, vulnerable and flawed. He spends most of the movie baffled, lost and vulnerable. He regularly bumps his head or gets roughed up by some dark character. At one point he loses his shoes and walks home in his bare feet. Add to this was I think is a really clever story, a really wonderful score by legendary composer Ennio Morricone, classic songs by Grace Jones, some really clever camera work and editing, and Frantic turns into a really wonderful and original picture. I don't know why it didn't do better originally or why it hasn't become a classic, it certainly is in my book. There is one problem though, this DVD is only available in fullscreen as I write this, and that's a crime. For other really great moments in Ford's career, have a look at Blade Runner or Working girl, and of course Star Wars and Raiders. Cheers.
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One of Polanski's Good Ones - c4th
Imagine yourself in the washroom of a high class hotel in Paris France preparing for an evening out. The doorbell sounds and you are surprised to find your wife has left the room. You fall asleep from jet lag and when you wake up your wife is still missing. ...Among Polanski's Finest. - JasonTHX
The movie starts out perfect. We pass along the streets of Paris during early dawn hours just when the strret lights are about to flick off and the sky is a dark blue turning to light. It's a series of moments any late night traveller will realate to. That's ...Probably Ford's finest as an actor - XTRUClerk
I was late for a showing of Frantic when it was in the theater. The girl at the snack counter told me I hadn't missed much as I picked up some pop-corn. I told her it didn't matter as I had seen the movie once before, which seemed to shock her. Going into ...