Dear Frankie is a one of very few sleeper films, which unfortunately so far didn't find the audience it deserves but got exceptionally positive responses from overwhelming majority of those who saw the movie. To my great sadness also it is obviously that this film is too good and too beautiful to be released in my country, where the audience is favorable to dumb action films and shelves of numerous video stores are mostly filled by dumb Hollywood blockbusters. However after a couple of months of unsuccessful searches eventually I found a DVD and watched Dear Frankie. What's the most important I was fortunate enough to watch original movie on English (even if some accents were a bit hard for me), not a miserable dubbed version (I'm also getting sick of constant lost in translation in such dubbed versions). The movie was immensely beautiful and captivating, sweet and sad at the same time. Actually I have to say that I loved every minute in the movie.
I guess there are enough of good reviews here, which tell what this movie is about but anyway, I will write a few lines because the movie deserves more attention and recognition. Dear Frankie is a story of a single mother with a nine years old son, Frankie. Frankie is deaf but he is a very smart boy for his age. He knows his father, only by letters they write to each other but his mother has a secret. All that time she was trying to protect her son and collected his mails from a postbox and write back. Because Frankie is also practically doesn't speak those letters are the only way for his mother to hear his voice. But the ship, on which his father is supposed to be, is coming to the port where they live and the mother hires a stranger to play his father for a one day in a desperate attempt not to ruin an illusion she has created for her son. I agree that for some of you that could sound like sentimental rubbish. But the story is so well masterfully created and well paced that every single scene is important here as well as every subtle detail. The director carries out his ideas and thoughts into practice extremely well and definitely deserves all the praises. Characters development was also one of the best I've seen in last years. The acting is also excellent all around. Emily Mortimer created terrific performance of s a single mother, who is trying to avoid her son's father and protecting his son. Gerard Butler plays perfectly Stranger and it's very nice to see his feelings and attitude to the family by some gestures, words and other minor but very significant details. And what is worthy of one of the highest possible respect is Frankie's character. He is not just a boy who is looking for our sympathy or even pity. Frankie is a very clever boy and he looks at the world with his own view and notices much more than most of people who surround him. Jack McElhone has incredibly strong and one of the most memorable performances of child actors in recent memory. This film with such wonderful performances transmits to us real emotions and feelings of its characters and it evokes the same from its audience. The cinematography, also a work of movie's director Shona Auerbach, is as good as her directing. She perfectly captured all emotions and feelings of characters and the beautiful shots of Scottish coast are very appealing and truly memorable. It is really fascinating to see how practically all the time the movie avoids the clichés and the ending is not an exception. Dear Frankie is a movie that will stick in your mind for a while, it's very poignant and sometimes sad but entirely sweet and beautiful.
An excellent movie all around and easily one of the best movies of the year. 10 out of 10.
I guess there are enough of good reviews here, which tell what this movie is about but anyway, I will write a few lines because the movie deserves more attention and recognition. Dear Frankie is a story of a single mother with a nine years old son, Frankie. Frankie is deaf but he is a very smart boy for his age. He knows his father, only by letters they write to each other but his mother has a secret. All that time she was trying to protect her son and collected his mails from a postbox and write back. Because Frankie is also practically doesn't speak those letters are the only way for his mother to hear his voice. But the ship, on which his father is supposed to be, is coming to the port where they live and the mother hires a stranger to play his father for a one day in a desperate attempt not to ruin an illusion she has created for her son. I agree that for some of you that could sound like sentimental rubbish. But the story is so well masterfully created and well paced that every single scene is important here as well as every subtle detail. The director carries out his ideas and thoughts into practice extremely well and definitely deserves all the praises. Characters development was also one of the best I've seen in last years. The acting is also excellent all around. Emily Mortimer created terrific performance of s a single mother, who is trying to avoid her son's father and protecting his son. Gerard Butler plays perfectly Stranger and it's very nice to see his feelings and attitude to the family by some gestures, words and other minor but very significant details. And what is worthy of one of the highest possible respect is Frankie's character. He is not just a boy who is looking for our sympathy or even pity. Frankie is a very clever boy and he looks at the world with his own view and notices much more than most of people who surround him. Jack McElhone has incredibly strong and one of the most memorable performances of child actors in recent memory. This film with such wonderful performances transmits to us real emotions and feelings of its characters and it evokes the same from its audience. The cinematography, also a work of movie's director Shona Auerbach, is as good as her directing. She perfectly captured all emotions and feelings of characters and the beautiful shots of Scottish coast are very appealing and truly memorable. It is really fascinating to see how practically all the time the movie avoids the clichés and the ending is not an exception. Dear Frankie is a movie that will stick in your mind for a while, it's very poignant and sometimes sad but entirely sweet and beautiful.
An excellent movie all around and easily one of the best movies of the year. 10 out of 10.