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114 comments in total

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48 out of 54 people found the following comment useful :-
Underrated, brilliant masterpiece!, 15 July 2001

Author: bartw

I really don't understand how this movie could have such a low score at this site. Perhaps the European atmosphere doesn't appeal as much to Americans as it does to Europeans.....just like most french top-films never made it to the US.

Nevertheless, Roman Polanski is terribly underrated as a master of suspence. In fact, looking back at Hitchcock's movies (which is unfair, since they've been made in a completely different era) I don't think he ever made movies written this well.

For some reason most of the time film making starts with putting the director together with some of the best or most popular actors of that period. But this one certainly doesn't.... It shows that Polanski wrote this himself, with his close friend and film-writing-partner, because he really knows what this story is about - he knows where to be funny, where to make it tense, where to make things kind of 'sensual'.

The weird thing is, that looking at all the things that happen in this movie, it's still so relatively shot, and doesn't feel at all too paced, or rushed. No, it rather feels like you are watching a 4 hour movie.

Anyway, those who have ever lost track of someone (for a short moment) in a strange, big city or those who have ever tried to find out something in France, will know and recognize exactly what Harrison Ford's character is going through - people not taking you seriously, people who don't care, people who refuse (or aren't able) to help you in your own language. All these things are put in this movie, so well, that -at least for me- it is really very realistic.

Most writers and directors nowadays seem to ruin most great movies/thrillers by not being able to make a good ending to the developing story. At one point our main character has got to find out what is happening....and how to do that, without taking away the suspence is incredibly difficult. Roman Polanski has done this very well, by not making this story too complicated and slowly unraveling a -looking back- simple mistery. There is no need to glue parts of the story together to make it all fit, or just skip parts to make it easier for him/you.

No, this is the first movie I've seen where when someone looses his shoes on a roof, he has to walk barefoot the next day. Most movies just ignore these little facts, but Roman makes it always difficult for himself in order to make it more easy (or, more easy to believe) for us.

There are no things that make me wonder 'how this is possible' - no, if you are a well known surgeon, many other surgeons from all over the world will know you. And if you will go to a convention in Paris, it's not at all unrealistic that you will run into a few of your friends...even when it's such a big city. Having problems with luggage when you're flying, isn't unrealistic too...nor is the story of this movie, the reason why what happened, happened.

Although I've never understood why our friend wanted his own wife back, instead of staying with the beautifull french girl ;) Again, that's what most people would do in real life....

Bart

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31 out of 34 people found the following comment useful :-
Something Happened on the Way to Paris., 6 April 2005

Author: nycritic

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Roman Polanski has an interesting way of returning to tell the story of a simple person whose surroundings, while completely familiar, suddenly become alien and even dangerous. With ROSEMARY'S BABY, neighbors plotted against misguided Mia Farrow; in REPULSION, Catherine Deneuve lost her mind; in THE TENANT, another apartment became the center of some odd occurrences. Even in THE PIANIST, the main character, played by Adrien Brody, slowly gets the rug pulled off his feet as his surroundings become the setting for the horrific Holocaust.

FRANTIC came out in 1988 to critical acclaim but little notice but has since then enjoyed an interesting life on HBO who keeps playing it over and over again. A movie that tells the story of an American couple (played by Harrison Ford and Betty Buckley) who get caught in a web of intrigue while vacationing in Paris, France, FRANTIC is an exceptional and overlooked thriller that evolves slowly, but not too slowly -- deliberately -- and gives its main characters ample time to evolve from how we first see them to full blooded people in a nasty, alien, deadly situation.

Harrison Ford gives yet another of his powerful, masculine performances as Dr. Richard Walker, who is at the center of this intrigue, and his is a performance equally comparable to that of James Stewart in VERTIGO and THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH. As a tourist searching for his missing wife, Ford displays an amazing amount of control over his character who is virtually in every scene in the movie: we see how he goes from loving husband, to befuddled, to angry at the apparent nonchalance of the Parisian authorities, to flat-out taking matters to his hands, while thankfully not being overblown to the status of an indestructible male god wielding phallic guns that shoot endlessly for the plot's convenience and who not only gets his wife back but a sexy girl in tow. Watch for a quiet moment when he is talking to his daughter over the phone. We never cut to the daughter -- that would have ruined the sequence -- but the camera stays on his face as he speaks to her, listening to the haunting Grace Jones song that pops up ominously, and something she says gives us a hint he and his wife may have gone through rough patches, which tells layers of the Walker's dynamics together even though they're only seen together for the first 10 minutes. The restraint in his face is so intense that it's a wonder he doesn't explode in tears of rage and impotence, because he has to hide the fact that no, he isn't having a swell time in Paris, but also, Mom's gone missing, and no one seems to know what to do, and he is feeling like the world's closed in on him in this alien place.

A lesser movie would have had more exposition of the facts and used a more conventional approach. Polanski has always been a master of subtlety: the scene when Sondra Parker disappears is the best scene in the entire film because it's done without intrusiveness, which makes her disappearance the more troubling and even though Buckley only has several minutes of screen time, she is all we think about; the plot revolves around her. Never do we see flash-cuts; it's all left to us. Never do we see sudden red-herrings that lead nowhere -- here, like in the aforementioned Hitchcock movies, they build upon the story. Never do we see high officials closing in from all around -- this is a resolution that involves the players and only them. Music is kept to a low-key presence, scenes of violence only occur sporadically, which is uncommon for a thriller. Scenes are played out so we don't get too much information as to what exactly is happening, but not so little that allows for those pesky "surprise" endings. This only makes us go through what Ford is going through right to the end.

Interestingly enough, there is an extremely subtle comedy (also a Hitchcock trademark) interspersed throughout: scenes of emotional tension are followed by an almost casual references to humor, and much of it comes from Seigner who plays the tough cookie who only wants her 10,000 francs and even sprays mace on the faces of two Embassy officials (one of them played by John Mahoney) who don't give much help and also casually steals a wallet from a cab driver because, as she practically states, "He won't be needing it anymore." This is a great move -- to make this movie so totally dramatic would have made it feel longer than its 120 minutes.

FRANTIC is a stand-alone thriller from the 80s that feels anything but a product from that decade.

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24 out of 28 people found the following comment useful :-
An enjoyably stylish film that is quite thrilling without resorting to gimmicks or tricks, 16 May 2004
Author: bob the moo from Birmingham, UK

Richard and Sondra Walker return to Paris for the first time since their honeymoon for him to attend a medical conference. While Richard is in the shower, Sondra leaves the hotel and vanishes. Unsure of where she has gone or if she left under duress or not, Richard begins a search that quickly reveals that she has gone missing. A mix-up with luggage and a smuggled substance lead him into the life of the mysterious Michelle who is more mixed up with his wife's disappearance than she lets on.

I have seen this film several times and I think the fact that it isn't a spectacularly gimmicky film is a big part of the reason why it doesn't really stick in my mind over the years. For this reason I watched it again yesterday as I'd forgotten most of the plot and felt it would be like seeing it all over again for the first time. The film takes the simple plot and uses the 'object' as a McGuffin of sorts of quite a big chunk of the film – we don't need to know why his wife has been kidnapped, only that Richard is desperate to get her back and is sucked into a situation he knows nothing of. In this regard the film really works well and manages to keep the pace up even if some of the characters are difficult to fit into the narrative. As a story it lacks fireworks and has a rather understated feel but it still works really well and I enjoyed the simplicity of the story combined with the ease with which it involved me.

The cast are good but it is Ford's film and he leads it really well. He convinces as the man becoming increasingly 'frantic' and he manages to involve humour as his character becomes savvier about what is happening and also appears to be seedier and less professional as a result! Seigner is good even if her character is easier to play; she is a fun character and her performance is good. Outside of these two, few are memorable and it is to their credit (mostly Ford's) that the film is still strong regardless. Other familiar faces include Pinon, Weeks and Huddleston.

Overall this is a solid little thriller that is rather old fashioned in it's telling. It relies on good set pieces within a good mystery plot rather than explosions or car chases and is much more satisfying as a result. Small bits of it don't totally come together but the overall effect is one of a simple film that is delivered with style and is enjoyable to watch.

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25 out of 30 people found the following comment useful :-
Roman "Hitchcock" Polanski, 13 October 2005

Author: michelerealini from Switzerland

"Frantic" is the most Hitchcock-influenced movie of Roman Polanski. The director has touched almost every cinematic genre, although always with a special taste for mysteries and disturbing elements. That's his trademark.

"Frantic" is a more conventional movie in Polanski filmography, but it's very well done and the sensation of something disquieting –typical of his films- is always there. An American doctor (Harrison Ford) goes to Paris for a medical congress with his wife. In their hotel the woman disappears without explanations and Harrison Ford begins a nightmarish research throughout the city…

The film reminds us of the Alfred Hitchcock thriller "North by Northwest" (1959) –in that movie a misunderstanding is the motor of the story, here it's something similar but more enigmatic, because we don't know who kidnapped doctor's wife.

This is the first cinematic collaboration between the Polish-French director and his future wife, actress Emmanuelle Seigner –she's the girl who helps Harrison Ford in this adventure.

Intriguing and exciting: these are the words for "Frantic". Perhaps it's not considered among Polanski's most important movies, but it still looks fresh and entertaining.

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23 out of 28 people found the following comment useful :-
Quiet, but intense and quite excellent, 2 July 2004

Author: walterlv from Las Vegas, USA

The title does not 100 percent reflect the atmosphere of the film. Yes, as Ford's character rummages through a strange city looking for his kidnapped wife he does become "frantic", it is in a very quiet fashion. No screaming or fits of hysterics, but you can sense it in Ford's acting. Speaking of acting, this film is almost all Ford and Emmanuelle Seigner, very few of the supporting characters make much of a mark here. For me, the most intriguing part is the almost total lack of chemistry between those two characters. Though they are in most of the second half of the film together, neither one cares a rip about the other's wish (him=to get his wife back, her=to get her money). But if you think about it, how much would a young, drug-pushing European girl and a middle-aged, successful American doctor have in common anyway? Theirs is an inspired pairing, and a very good movie is the result. Watch this one.

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10 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
Decent thriller, 1 April 2000

Author: John Seal from Oakland CA

It's not Polanski's best, but he's been off his game for 20 years, so we should be happy he delivered as decent a film as this one. Eschewing large doses of violence, Polanski manages to weave a fairly taut and interesting story of mixed up suitcases. Until the films Hollywood ending it's most enjoyable, the major problem being the presence of Roman's gal pal Seigner in the role of the beautiful smuggler who will steal your heart away....oops, must have been quoting from the Hollywood pressbook there. Anyway, Frantic is worth seeing if you like tales of intrigue, or Harrison Ford, who is really quite good.

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15 out of 21 people found the following comment useful :-
A great 80's film from one of the world's best directors, 28 March 2003

Author: Javier from Texas, USA

I highly recommend this film to this site members and visitors so that they can appreciate an excellent drama-thriller combination from director Roman Polanski. This film shows one of Harrison Ford's best, if not his best performance ever, and the introduction of Emmanuelle Seigner, whose character plays the most important role in the movie. Though the story takes place in a beautiful city, Polanski takes you to Paris' ordinary dark streets and alleys, and also gives us a realistic view of how good or dangerous people can be. Up to this day, I really don't know why this movie has not been that popular in the U.S. and even less why it didn't get nominated for any major awards when it was well done. Now that Polanski is popular again, I hope movie collectors take the chance to see why he is one of the greatest of all time.

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12 out of 16 people found the following comment useful :-
An almost excellent film, 11 February 2000

Author: Anders Åslund (anders.aslund@xpress.se) from Karlstad, Sweden

For this film to qualify as excellent, not much is needed. Maybe a little more...I don't know...temper? Anyway, Ford is brilliant as Richard Walker whose wife is kidnapped in Paris. It's his acting that makes up for a somewhat simple plot. Just look at the scene where he talks to some policeman over the phone. "With an S for 's***head'!"

That's priceless.

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13 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
Amazingly Unfrantic, 4 July 2006

Author: golem3 from Trinidad not Tobago

Frantic, a film by Roman Polanski is largely unnoticed. He is credited for pictures such as Chinatown and The Pianist, but certainly his best action-adventure flick is this one.

The film stars Harrison Ford, who plays a idiotic doctor who cannot figure out his way through Paris, where he has lost his wife to a conspiracy. The film is entirely shot in France, and the scenery, use of backgrounds is phenomenal. Polanski has a way with the camera that mimics Hitchcock in some sense, but it is entirely his own style.

The film is wrought with the oddest of humor, almost slapstick at times, but at its core it is a solid action film surrounding a kidnapping, terrorist threats and formulaic Hollywood-esquire twists. It rises above the normal thriller that is plagued with senseless violence, characters we could care less about, and bald-faced innuendo. Frantic is the kind of movie that shouldn't be missed.

An interesting thing about Frantic is that it combines European and American sensibilities and humor all at once – this is certainly not an easy task, but Polanski pulls it off very effectively.

RATING: 9/10

Man on Phone: What number are you calling from? Richard Walker: How should I know? I... I'm in a café, the Paris Midi. Man on Phone: How do you spell that? Richard Walker: How do you... with an "S" for shithead!

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7 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Masterful kidnap thriller., 8 May 2003
Author: Jonathon Dabell (barnaby.rudge@hotmail.co.uk) from Wakefield, England

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Harrison Ford will always be associated with Star Wars and Indiana Jones, and may be most fondly remembered by critics for his Oscar-nominated role in Witness. However, for his career best performance, see Frantic. This nightmarish ride through a Paris of dark streets, seedy characters and international intrigue is the ultimate kidnap thriller.

Dr. Walker (Ford) arrives in Paris for a medical conference with his wife Sondra (Buckley). She is kidnapped while he is taking a shower, and after various attempts to involve the police and the local US Embassy officials, Ford realises that no-one in Paris really gives a damn about his predicament. He enlists the aid of a young, freewheeling Parisian woman, and tracks down the kidnappers himself.

The mood is captured perfectly. From the moment they arrive in Paris, Ford and his wife see things go dramatically wrong, from the relatively minor problem of a flat tyre in their taxi, to the eventual acknowledgement that she has been kidnapped, and ultimately to the discovery that the kidnappers are Middle Eastern terrorists. The jigsaw pieces fall into places slowly and intricately. This film is in no great rush to go where it's going, but it never appears tiresome or boring because every event, no matter how small or insignificant, contributes to the overall impression of gripping excitement. Ford's performance is shaded in many subtle tones, ranging from happy (at the beginning), to mildly baffled (when she first goes astray), to downright terrified (when he realises she has been snatched).

Polanski is a great film-maker and, in my opinion, this is one of his best works.

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