What did you think of Frantic

[Olden]

I saw it the other day and must say that it didn't do it for me. Harrison was excellent, but it seemed like a potentially engaging concept was not executed well. Parts of the plot were a bit incredulous. What was the point of kidnapping Mrs. Walker if the attackers didn't instantly make it clear why they had done so? Obviously, the worried husband would contact the police and the American embassy - why wait for that to happen? And then there was the policeman who immediately connected the Dede from the answering machine tape with a certain Dede Martin found dead. Like that was the only murder to happen in a huge city and the same cop dealing with a missing person case actually is privy to details of a murder case. Etc, etc.
Also, I thought the casting wasn't very good. I think there was supposed to be a father-daughter type relationship between Harrison's character and the young girl, but he just looked too young for that and his wife looked too old for him.
There were good parts to the movie too, it wasn't horrible. But just on the whole, I found it disappointing.

[jane.e]

At first viewing, i too didn't rate "Frantic" either Olden, but i urge you to give it another chance. Despite the obvious plot holes, after watching it several times, i now rate it as one of my favourites. Jane.

[fatima]

Yes, I had to watch more than once to 'swallow' it, I thought it had some flaws, then the more I watched the more I was getting into the story...this is not showing a glamorous Paris at first sight, it's a dark, subworld Paris...we spent almost the whole movie in tension to follow Dr.Walker steps for resolving the disapearence of his wife...his tenacity is notable, and we can feel the drama there is present all of the time, so by far Harrison is the best thing in the movie, and well, I reach out for pleasent/curiosed details as the ones he is taking bath, seing him sleeping while is waiting for his wife, take notice that he has bare feet at some time...the crowling on the iron roof etc.

[indysgirl]

Oh, I actually really liked "Frantic." I didn't care for the girl, Emmanuelle Seigner, that much... I thought her performance was fairly wooden, but I thought overall it was very good.

Aside from it's obvious strengths (teddy bear! TEDDY BEAR!!! LMAO), I founld Polanski very good at building tension, and it did, truly, remind me of some of my favorites of Hitchcock's thrillers.

One of the most believable scenes, for me, was at the disco, and how awkward and uncomfortable Richard looked and felt with the girl on the dance floor... he looked on her like a daughter, not a lover (at least, that was MY feeling throughout... she wasn't much older than the teenager left in charge at home!)

Yeah, "Frantic" was actually one of my earlier favorites... along with "The Frisco Kid."

[Lorrie]

Frantic is one of my favorites. I really love Harrison's performance and believe it is one of his most underated films.

And in regards to the dance floor scene... I feel just the opposite of Pat. I thought that was one of Harrison's more 'sensual' scenes in any movie. I felt the character's pain/frustration over his missing wife, but at the same time I felt he was struggling with his 'attraction' toward Michelle and in some way he actually fell in love with her. (I never felt a father/daughter vibe betwen them.)

[jane.e]

I agree Lorrie; yes he is stiff and awkward when first on the dance floor with the girl, but as the music continues he softens and relaxes, enjoying the rhythm and yes, her company. You're right, concerned as he is to find his wife, he is attracted by the girl's vibrant nature, and of course as the situation continues, is concerned for her safety, along that of Sandra his wife. My favourite part of the film? Near to the beginning, when he's in the shower, then afterwards shaving says;
"You're awful quiet in there honey, i ain't doing this for routine." I know i have the quote wrong, but you get the gist. Jane.

[indysgirl]

OK... I'm gonna have to go back and watch that scene again... LMAO I was a lot younger then!!!

:-)

Pat

[Olden]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I am still not entirely sold, but maybe I will give it another shot sometime in the future.
I really didn't see him being attracted to the girl though. I spent the whole time thinking that he saw in her a confused kid (presumably close to his daughter's age) who through some set of circumstances had gotten herself in trouble and who needed his help almost as much as his wife did.
But, I can see how it was perhaps subtly suggested that there was some attraction going on. Was that the point of the goofy teddy-bear scene (other than to generate titillating coversations between Harrison's female fans)?
Yet, if this is the case, that makes the movie even more confused and weird to me - Mr. Straight Arrow's beloved wife is in mortal danger and he is embroiling himself with some other woman. I don't know - that just doesn't make any sense to me.

[indysgirl]

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I am still not entirely sold, but maybe I will give it another shot sometime in the future.
I really didn't see him being attracted to the girl though. I spent the whole time thinking that he saw in her a confused kid (presumably close to his daughter's age) who through some set of circumstances had gotten herself in trouble and who needed his help almost as much as his wife did.
But, I can see how it was perhaps subtly suggested that there was some attraction going on. Otherwise, what was the point of the goofy teddy-bear scene (other than to generate titillating coversations between Harrison's female fans)?
Yet, if this is the case, that makes the movie even more confused and weird to me - Mr. Straight Arrow's beloved wife is in mortal danger and he is embroiling himself with some other woman. I don't know - that just doesn't make any sense to me.


Ah... now, see? You put my thoughts into words far better than I. Thanks, Oden, that's what I felt as well.

But, as I say, hell I'm willing to suffer through watching it a few hundred more times just to be SURE of my feelings.

<big grin!>

Anything for truth! LOL

[Lorrie]

Yet, if this is the case, that makes the movie even more confused and weird to me - Mr. Straight Arrow's beloved wife is in mortal danger and he is embroiling himself with some other woman. I don't know - that just doesn't make any sense to me.

I didn't see him callously and intentionally flirting with this young woman, but rather he was so distraught, scared and frustrated over the loss of his wife he relished the understanding, companionship and comfort of Michelle. These feelings lead to a sort of underlying and unspoken attraction between them. I never once felt that he didn't love his wife... but I think he shared a closeness with Michelle due to circumstances that were beyond his control. And I think the dance was reflective of those feelings. (Watch that scene again... he looks lost, sad, guilty and passionate all at the same time, IMO.)

[fatima]

Yes, Lorrie, I absolutly agree with you there. You can also add that who was mixing feelings was her, she was starting to be in love/ protected by him.
And in that dance scene he was literally draged by her to the dance floor, she was exuding sensuality towards him, and he was nothing but feeling incomfortable, forced to be there and in his face I can just see concerning, not pleased at all.
Olden, please give another chance to yourself to watch it...and perhaps you'll get a diferent review.

[DonutLove]

I suppose I'm the only person who burst out laughing during the dance scene. I saw all of the emotions on his face that you guys mentioned, but I guess I just found it funny that he was so stiff and then he started to move.

Frantic's a good movie--different...a little on the weird side, but I never really formed an opinion about it. I think the part that stuck out to me the most was when he called his kids and they asked how mom was doing and he got so choked up because she was still kidnapped.

Interesting movie though. Sometimes I think I like it better than Presumed Innocent.

[Olden]

Oh, I don't know about that. I thought Presumed Innocent was really good. Out of the films I have seen so far (Witness, Mosquito Coast, 6 Days 7 Nights, Frantic, Presumed Innocent, Blade Runner, Regarding Henry, Sabrina, Working Girl, Fugitive, Indy, Star Wars), I really liked Frantic the least.

[DonutLove]

I mentioned that Frantic and Presumed Innocent were my least favorite Harrison films that I have seen on imdb a month ago and some Harrison fan or whatever told me I was an idiot. LMAO I was like gee thanks.

[fatima]

Add me to the idot list, cause I can't stand Presumed Inocent either. As for Frantic is a movie it is weird yes, but I like the tension moments and the 'relationship' of dependence between a surgeon guy and a drug addict...Harrison portrayed it perfectly, his main goal was always to find his wife, and the weird things came along, so he had that partner to help him out, that's why it was possible to creat a movie like this, if he had a partner just like him from the same universe as his, things would have been solved out immediatly.
Yes, Sabrina, it make me laugh too, cause those two are so oposite of each other and we can very well see he was forced to dance.

[jane.e]

Honestly, the barefaced cheek of some people; the next time someone calls you an idiot for expressing a genuinely held opinion Donutlove, tell them to go hang! You're as entitled to express your feelings about something as much as the next person. Jane.

[DonutLove]

Fatima: I never thought about it that way. I guess their characters being complete opposites made the movie what it was. I suppose when I watch it again I will take that into consideration.

I went reading on the Frantic board on imdb months ago when I had just seen the movie and some nerve of people out there. They're all like "He should have left his wife!" I'm like LMAO that's SO WRONG--she was kidnapped. I sat there wondering why somebody would move on to somebody else if their spouse were missing. So to speak, her body wasn't even cold yet and they were trying to shove him off with the new girl. It made me laugh, but it made me remember how twisted some people can be--that and heartless.

Jane: LMAO yeah--I know. I told the person that I didn't say they were awful movies because I don't think they're awful movies. There's a few more movies of Harrison's that I can not call my favorites, but Harrison is always a pleasure to watch. If the plot doesn't grab me, his character or a moment in one of his films is enough to keep me watching. I'm not sure what bug crawled up that guys ass that day, but he sprung an attitude with me and I just had to laugh.

[Grethe]

Add me to the list of Presumed Innocent fans. Innocent is the non-franchise Harrison movie I like best.

[Marianna]

I liked very much both of the movies, Frantic and Presumed Innocent. I put them in the same basket with The Fugitive.

[Speff]

I really like both"Frantic" and "Presumed Innocent", but especially "Frantic." I have a soft spot for it because I love Paris, and it does a wonderful job of showing the bits of Paris that are off the tourist trail. The best part of the film for me, though, was HF's performance. You completely got the idea of a man used to being in control of his life and any situation in it (with the clear managerial support of his wife) suddenly dropped, jet-lagged and well out of his comfort zone, into this abduction nightmare. There were many excellent scenes, like the one when Dominique Pinon's character is running through what he saw in the car park, and Walker finds his wife's bracelet; his furious sarcasm when dealing with the embassy staff - "Blue. Both of them." in response to the question about the colour of his wife's eyes; the repeated shots of Walker returning to the hotel in ever-more disheveled condition; his heartbreaking telephone phone call to his daughter; or the "teddy bear" scene when Walker learns not to tick off the French police. The ending, however, was a bit silly and OTT, as though they suddenly realized "Oops! We're doing a Harrison Ford film! He has to punch somebody!" Generally, I thought that "Frantic" was one of several films from the '80's and early '90's when HF seemed prepared to work on riskier projects with great directors.

[Indy_Bondgirl]

Alright, I love Frantic. It's such a different kind of movie. I like it better than Presumed Innocent actually(I did like that film too and the ending really tripped me out. I did not see that coming). The thing about it that stands out the most to me is Harrison Ford's acting/performance. Seeing him in this desperate state throughout the film was really fun to watch. That character, Dr. Richard Walker, went from being in a position where everything was planned and controlled to everything being well...Frantic. It's a kinda stressful film to watch and you feel every emotion that this guy is going through. He doesn't know what the hell happened to his wife but slowly starts to pull the pieces of the puzzle together. The most awkward scene in the movie was Harrison on the rooftop trying to climb up to "Michelle's" apartment. That was hilarious in a dark way and cringe worthy you really feel for the poor guy. You can clearly see this guy has never had to do this before. The dance floor scene, phone-call to his daughter scene, when they're are riding to her apartment and she tries to snort the coke, ect. those were good scenes oh yeah the Teddy Bear scene was funny too. I didn't really care for the ending though except for the part when him and his wife are riding in the cab and he just breaks down.

This has some great Harrison Ford acting for sure. I also liked the soundtrack. It goes into my top 10 on an alternative list for originality and talented acting. Sure hope Harrison gets to choosing interesting films like this to work on in the future.

Here's an interesting tidbit I found on IMDB http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095174/trivia :

Harrison Ford (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000148/) thought that "Frantic" was a misleading title for the film as the script didn't have a frantic pace. He suggested that "Moderately Disturbed" would be a more appropriate title. Polanski wasn't amused.

Interesting. I agree the film's pace wasn't "Frantic" but the situation the character found himself in was.

[replicanthunter]

i love the film -saw it about 7 times in the theatre 20 yrs ago-god time flies
there are so many images and the mood sticks with you
the dance scene to Grace Jones' "iv;e seen that face before-libertango" is complex,Michelle is just being herself,free ,a kid still caught up in danger,but still a kid,she is not trying to seduce him,she is in the "moment" exhilarted by the song and the ambience..and i agree, Dr. Walker feels lost,awkward,scared..maybe attracted ..but afraid of how this situation may or may not resolve itself