Frantic

Starring: Harrison Ford, Betty Buckley, Emmanuelle Seigner
Directed by: Roman Polanski
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
1988

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: In Paris, a man (Harrison Ford) is shocked to discover his wife (Beatty Buckley) has disappeared from their hotel room. As he begins searching for her, he begins to suspect something criminal happened to her. As he searches frantically, he begins to realize he may be in over his head and part of something he doesn't fully understand.

Review:
Tim: Sometimes the best movies are the most simple. At its heart, Frantic is a very simple a movie- a man's wife vanishes, and he tries to find her. From this simple concept, director Roman Polanski gives us a twisting, intense, thrilling mystery that manages to hold our attention throughout the entire movie. Brilliantly, this movie is first and foremost a mystery- we go along with Harrison Ford as he tries desperately to locate his missing wife. Where did she go? We want to know just as much as he does, and this is what propels the film forward.

Harrison Ford has starred in some truly amazing movies throughout his career. While this might not be at the top of the list, it is still a very solid entry into one of the most impressive Hollywood careers of all time. He is excellent in the movie, as a desperate man willing to go to any lengths to find and save his wife. We believe him as a normal, everyday guy who finds himself in over his head. Even more impressively, we believe him as he digs deeper and deeper into the mystery, called upon to go to lengths most people wouldn't have the guts to go to. Ford is what makes this movie, as we watch, fascinating, as he goes from surprise to concern to worry to fear for his wife's safety. This increasing level of emotion is core to the film, and Ford pulls it off wonderfully. This is important, because his performance makes this movie. Betty Buckley was just not impressive as his wife. I never liked her in the role for a moment. Emmanuelle Seigner does give a pretty memorable performance, giving Ford the only real help he has in this film. Ford and Seigner get along well on screen (they have much more chemistry than he and Buckley do).

Polanski gives us a very Hitchcockian thriller. I am sad that Hollywood does not make more of these kind of movies. Yes, I love the big, hard-to-believe blockbusters, but I also long for these smaller, tightly wrapped movies that focus on everyday, normal people finding themselves in extraordinary circumstances. What is most chilling about this movie is that it theoretically could happen to anyone. Disappearances occur every day all over the world, and when it happens to you- or someone close to you- I cannot imagine the fear, helplessness, and the worry that would rack at you constantly. This movie does a good job of capturing that quality.

Frantic is a very good movie that manages to thrill, entertain, and keep its audience in a near-constant state of suspense. I was fully committed to the journey, the characters, and every twist and turn of the script. This is an enjoyable, exciting movie that makes me desperately wish more of these films were made today.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5


If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Witness, Random Hearts, Regarding Henry