Frantic | | Cast : | Harrison Ford | | Director : | Roman Polanski | | Studio : | Warner Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Dolby | | Released Date : | February 26, 1988 | | DVD Released Date : | June 01, 2004 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), English (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 10, 2005 | | Summary | this could have been one of the best films of the 80's | Content
 | This could have been one of the best films of the 80's. All of the components are there. Ford gives the best acting of his career. The production is elegant and holds up as often breathtaking even by today's standards. Two things however really bring this movie down.
The major negative here I believe is Polanski's insistence on starring Emmanuelle Seigner. This is one of the sexiest women I have ever seen grace a film, but it is the understatement of the year to say that she can't act at all. In fact, I think that she might have just about turned in the worst acting performance I have ever seen in this film and it totally destroys Ford's performance. When the film was over I thought about it and came to the conclusion that there is really two halves here. The first half is dynamite; the second with Seigner is a totally different beast, your average stupid kid thriller. Watch this film and dare contradict my statement here. Get beyond her obvious good looks and tell me she just was not meant for this part. It's so bad that Ford fades into the background in any scene that she was also in.
OK, the second negative in this film are these two agents that keep popping up. There is no explanation ever given as to how they knew where Ford and Seigner would be time and time again. It really ruins what could have been a very nicely done and subtle plot. They were never needed and muddle an otherwise great story.
I am really kind of mad with Polanski here. He destroyed what could have been one of the better films he has made. And this statement comes from one who worships the ground Polanski walks on.
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| Rating | | | Date | May 13, 2005 | | Summary | 5 star film, 1 star DVD | Content
| This is one of Harrison Ford's underappreciated gems, made in that brief period in the 1980's when he had a two movie fling with roles beyond his usual fare, the other being the fantastic "The Mosquito Coast." Sadly, both movies bombed, and Ford never pushed himself again.
Roman Polanski crafts a creepily realistic thriller. The first half is near flawless, as Ford investigates the mysterious disappearance of his wife. Things do start to unravel a bit as we find out just what happened to her, the mysterious becoming just mundane Hollywood fare. Still, Polanski's direction is so assured that I'm willing to forgive this fault. His own tragic personal loss clearly informs this dark, unceasingly serious film.
Although filmed in Paris, Polanski makes a fascniating choice. This is not the "City of Lights" we're used to. Instead, Polanski shows the city at its absolute worst, delighting in its ugliness. The film opens and closes with lengthy shots of a highway passing through dreary suburbs. Trash trucks are forever collecting garbage and obscuring the Eiffel Tower. We constantly see bathrooms, alleys, concrete parking structures, rooms lit by banks of fluorescent lights, rundown apartments, the list goes on. This is not to say the film is ugly, it's beautifully shot, but not to look like a series of postcard images, this is a working, living organism of a city.
There is an almost documentary feel to this film that will alienate many viewers. This is arthouse style filmmaking. There are no easy jokes and little snappy dialogue. Multiplex moviegoers, used to instant, constant gratification will be disappointed. But those who like a little more depth and intelligence to their thrillers will be mesmerized.
Sadly, the American DVD is a disaster. It was one of the very first DVDs ever released and shows its age. In fact, the picture quality was notably worse than my old VHS. Even more annoyingly, it starts out in widescreen for the credits, teasing you, then zooms in to pan-and-scan for the feature, before zooming out again to widescreen for the closing credits. Infuriating. Luckily, the British DVD, available at amazon.co.uk, has an anamorphic widescreen transfer. It's not the greatest picture, but until Warner does right by this film in the US, it gets the job done. If you can play Region 2 discs, that's the one to get.
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| Rating | | | Date | February 20, 2005 | | Summary | Frantic?!? | Content
| Frantic? Hardly! This poorly-directed and produced film really rides on the back of Harrison Ford and a few, albeit short, scenes of fast action, none of which really amount to creating much suspense. The character of Sondra is poorly depicted by Betty Buckley, an actress whose small part should have served the role of building sympathy for her plight. Instead her brief moments at the beginning of the film tend to disengage the audience. There is never any great compassion developed for her as Buckley unwittingly portrays her character as snobbish, difficult, and unloveable to some degree. In terms of directing, Polanski misses the mark as there is rarely any sense of urgency or parallel understanding transferred over to the audience; the movie is disjointed at times. It would be easy to become as ambivalent about the whole thing as the French police. I would recommend a strong pot of coffee for this one. |
| Rating | | | Date | January 11, 2005 | | Summary | Frantic needs better | Content
| Great movie, but what's with the pan and scan dvd? Polanski is a great director and his movie needs a better treatment on dvd. How about widescreen please? This is a great film and it would be nice to see all of the image as the director intended. Thanks in advance. |
| Rating | | | Date | September 29, 2004 | | Summary | Perfect Film Disgraceful Transfer to DVD | Content
| This is one of my FAVORITE movies. Despite the horrible transfer to DVD I still watch it often. I am writing this with the hopes that with the stellar release of Polanski's Tess the powers that be WILL do a new transfer of this Polanski masterpiece. A new digital transfer in WIDESCREEN format would do justice to a film that deserves it. PLEASE. This is a 5 star film . |
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