Frantic - 1988

I've only been updating the blog with movies from the boxsets lately.  There are multiple reasons for this.  Please see my review of Against a Crooked Sky for some insight as to why this might be.  Also, what I didn't mention is that I've been writing a lot of other things recently.  This actually dates back to early last year, when I started writing my first movie script.

I wrote two full movie scripts, and I wrote about 6 partial scripts.  I wrote my "show" which has two complete scripts for 30 minute shows.  I also wrote a script of Workaholics to enter a contest.  All this writing drains me bro.  I can't write nonstop for "work" and then also write for fun on a movie blog.

Buuuuuuut, here I am reviewing a well known Polanski movie.  What can I say?  Life is confusing like that.  I'm also going to try and write a script for Bob's Burgers in the next two weeks.  Although I'm sure it's probably stressful and shitty to work in television, someone's gotta do it right?

Frantic is a great title and a great movie, directed by Roman Polanski, the OG child molester we hate to admit that we love.  Harrison Ford, John Mahoney, Dominique Pinon, and others star in the fast paced and well plotted 1988 flick.

Early on, about say 15 minutes in, Harrison Ford's wife has mixed up her suitcase with another that looks like it at the airport.  She receives a call while Ford is in the shower, and she goes out to meet the people who supposedly have her real suitcase.  She is promptly kidnapped.  Then the rest of the movie, right up until the hour forty or so minute mark, is all Harrison Ford tracking her down to get her back. 

The tension is great, the soundtrack great.  The acting, obviously great.  Harrison Ford reminds me a bit of Daniel Day Lewis, I realize, maybe that's why I like him.    There's a bunch of things to like about this movie.  But in the season of nitpicking on a movie reviews blog, let's talk about what's NOT great a tiny bit.

First of all, the kidnappers basically never make any attempt to contact Ford's doctor character Richard Walker.  They turn out to be after a miniature electronic thingy hidden in a Statue of Liberty souvenir.  Well, why don't they EVER try to get it from Walker?  They could have called him about 15 minutes after they kidnapped the wife, and just made the trade.  Second of all, Walked finds a matchbox in the suitcase.  It happens to have the name and phone number of the guy he needs to contact.  Why?  Because movie magic.  In real life, it would have been some useless phone number, perhaps to a pizza delivery restaurant.  Third, the female that's tossed in as eye candy for the audience and temptation for Ford is just ridiculous.  A druggie punk, who stays with Ford just "cause" basically, it's not done particularly well.  Also, it's good and all, but I still think 2 hours total was maybe a little long.  Surely about 15 minutes of the filler could have been cut....

It's a good movie, it's fun to watch, and it's quintessential for a Ford enthusiast like myself.  4 stars.