Frantic (1988)

Sadly Over-hyped

Highly Overrated But Still Good

The acting in this movie is really good.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Harrison Ford has made something of a career of playing earnest, middle-aged professionals whose successful lives are turned over. Ford himself does not come under personal suspicion here, and the action is a little slower, but you can see why the producers of the later film might have looked at this one and said "That's our Richard Kimble!" What it lacks in raw energy it makes up in director Roman Polanski's extremely well-observed footage of Paris, and it plays well on the frustration that Ford's character feels at being unable to speak French. There are some terrific scenes; Ford's adventures on the roof as mentioned above, him trying to 'buy' drugs in the nightclub, and, best of all, Ford and Seigner 'dancing' in the second nightclub towards the end - a wonderfully funny scene.This film feels very French, including Polanski's (right) decision not to subtitle the bits of French dialogue, despite being largely about Americans abroad, right down to the twist ending (which I won't give away), which let me with a suitably Gallic feeling of hopelessness. The story keeps you on your feet and you find yourself begging to find out what will happen next. Even better is that it's got the come back factor, leave it for a year and come back to it, it's nearly as exciting as seeing it for the first time. The thrum of a neatly designed Paris puts a near surreal edge on the atmosphere, and Ford is terrific as the American abroad shifting often between paranoia, frustration and panic. The appearance of the Statue of Liberty on the Seine outside the window of the boat cabin in Polanski is as magical and memorable an image as the Mount Rushmore finale in Hitchcock. To me, this is a pure magic!Overall rating: 9 out of 10.

It's all Mood and Tension from Director Roman Polanski, at a Lethargic Pace that some Moderns might Find Too Slow. But if one can Go With the Flow of this Taut Tale of Hitchcockian Misdirection and Wrong Place and Wrong Time Conceit, the Film Engages.Harrison Ford is the Driven Husband out to find His Wife who Wandered Off, or so it Seems, after Their Arrival in Paris. Polanski's Film is Smart and Mature with a Sophistication not usually found in Thrillers. Conversations are Drawn Out for Maximum Stress, both on the Phone and in Person, and sometimes Things are Taken to the Breaking Point. In the First Half, it is the Uncertainty of the situation that Causes Concern and in the Second Half once Things become Known it is just more Cause for Concern.Reaching a Fever Pitch in the End but the Thrill Ride getting there Does Not End Quickly and once Again the Tension is Stretched to the Limit. It's a Nerve Racking Film as was intended and there isn't much Relief throughout the Two Hour Running Time. Overall, the Film comes off as something Very Different and is an Offbeat Entertainment for those Seeking Artistic Filmmaking at its Best. Note...The eerie serpentine Score by Ennio Morricone effectively underlines the mood and some Reggae and Club Songs also add to the atmosphere

Dr. Richard Walker (Harrison Ford) is in Paris with his wife Sondra (Betty Buckley) for a medical conference. The last time was their honeymoon 20 years ago. They check into the hotel and discover that they've got the wrong bag. While he's in the shower, his wife gets a call and disappears. It's a struggle to be taken seriously even after he finds her broken bracelet. It seems like she's run off with some guy. He finds a phone number written on a matchbook in the incorrect suitcase. He starts investigating on his own and encounters Michelle (Emmanuelle Seigner).This is a great Roman Polanski film. It has the Hitchcockian feel. It's an everyman played very well by Ford who is caught up in a world that he has no concept of. The start is Kafkaesque. It's filled with paranoia. Then Emmanuelle Seigner shows up. She's a classic femme fatale. The movie is a great thriller.

Well, i have always liked international production that happens in Paris (except those of Allen and now this is definitive !). Here, you got a giant American actor, Harrison, a pleasant french newcomer, Emmanuelle Seigner, a polish director, one of the best Italian composer, Morricone. This movie was done a quarter of century ago but Paris is really this old movie that stays the same. Here,you have the total package as you go from a famous hotel to normal Parisians accommodations as Dede or Michelle's studio look like mine. Nothing is modern, it's small. If the future « Taken » has plundered « Frantic », it has forgotten the best, the psychological disorientation. If Indiana Jones has the same stature as Qui Kong, Harrisson doesn't really uses the whip but rather the shoes of Dr. Jones. In other words, Harrisson is impressive playing a shy, goofy, lost but really determined husband ! His search is all the more thrilling as it's seems authentic : it's not a compilation of kung fu, gunfights but a trail of clues in the city of (dark) lights! Finally, it prefigures "Da Vinci Code" in which religion would have been changed for spy.