If you're going to watch one Twitter fueled advertising vehicle, watch this

Rating: 7/10 (27 December 2014)

Frank is a film about being wrong, and that's what's right about it. The plot summary should give you the basic understanding: aspiring UK songwriter/cubicle occupier Jon (Domhnall Gleeson) lucks into a position in a quirky alternative band after the current keyboard player tries to drown himself nearby while Jon sits on a park bench for lunch.
With no introduction to the band, its songs, or even the proper pronunciation of its name, the first gig fails miserably, but for reasons other than Jon. A day or so later, he receives a call from Don, inviting him to be the replacement keyboard player because lead singer Frank found him "cherishable." He discovers that Frank is both a genius and a beautiful soul, who wears a disturbing fake head at all times.
Both Frank (Michael Fassbender) and the producer Don (Scoot McNairy) are both sane and completely not, and the analog keyboardist/theremin player Clara (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is the nastiest and nuttiest, the source of much of the band's tension, yet also quite clearly a genius in her own right. The remaining band mates (drummer and guitarist) are a French couple mostly in their own world, but clearly form a foundation for the rest.
It's only the keyboard player that seems to be the wildcard, the band is now on its third in the form of Jon.
All of the performances are great, and the depiction of the process of music creation is lively and frustrating. The plot moves along well, and blends a mix of both funny and sad while still getting its message across.
The Negatives:
Though the band's creative process features a variety of post-industrial composition, the ultimate songs end up being traditionally structured alternative rock songs (though I like them quite a lot.) And again, this is obviously a Twitter funded advertising vehicle, like that one Favreau Eating Movie That Shall Not be Named: standard pop-up on screen tweets with accompanying bird sound effects spattered like pigeon droppings. But unlike that other movie, the Twitter ads are less intrusive upon the story, don't feature stupid scenes like "Sign me up, son! (*munch* *munch*)", and show Twitter more for what is: hoping that you can will the wind to rise at your back while you urinate freely away. Plus it leads to the ultimate message of the movie: You Can Only Succeed With Success, and You Can't Change Chemistry With a Carnival.
Compare that to the Apple products, which are barely noticeable (and that's how it should be with advertising-funded movies.) Instrument- wise, I saw both Nord and M-audio keyboards, and the theremin is probably a Moog, but its name isn't displayed. That stuff doesn't bother me, because they don't force your attention upon them.
I would have given this 8 stars for the story, acting, directing, and editing, but I feel it's necessary to take 1 star away for any movie where the advertising is blatant enough to distract me from the story.