Franklyn
Tags: fantasy, neo noir, boring, gothic, flashback, insanity

Plot synopsis:
The action switches between contemporary London and Meanwhile City, a gothic-like metropolis in a fantasy world.Meanwhile City is a place in which religion is the rule. Everyone must adhere to some sort of faith, be it Christianity, Buddhism or 7th Day Nail Varnishers or Washing Machine Purists. John Preest is a masked vigilante detective and the only atheist in Meanwhile City, which makes him an outlaw. He is on the trail of a young girl who was kidnapped by The Individual, leader of a cult called the Duplex Ride. He meets his informant, Wormsnakes, who not only tells him that the girl is dead but also betrays him to the religious authorities. Preest flees to the rooftops but is captured and jailed.In London, a young man called Milo is jilted by his fiancée at the rehearsal for their wedding; Peter Esser, an elderly church warden from Cambridge, goes to London in an attempt to find his son David, who is apparently living among the homeless; and Emilia, an art student, films herself attempting suicide by various means - drugs overdose and wrist-slashing - always being saved at the last moment by the emergency services whom she called beforehand.In Meanwhile City, Tarrant, a leading official, offers to release Preest from prison if he finds The Individual, who has returned after a long absence. Preest agrees but, as he is about to be fitted with a homing device, he overcomes his guards and escapes. He finds Wormsnakes and beats him up for betraying him four years beforehand. He also leaves an address for Wormsnakes to pass on to The Individual, whom he intends to kill in revenge for the girl.In London, depressed over his rejection, Milo starts seeing the figure of Sally, a friend he knew at primary school, but who keeps disappearing when he tries to approach her. He then finds her working as a teacher at the same school and they agree to meet in a restaurant later in the week. When he tells his mother about this happy event, she claims that Sally was in fact an imaginary friend whom he came up with when he was six years old, following the death of his father!Peter Esser manages to track down Bill Wasnik, a former soldier who knew David while serving in Iraq. Bill complains about how, four years ago, David confronted him in a pub over some dead girl, provoked a fight and was overpowered by the police on the pub roof. He tells of how he was also beaten up a few days ago by David who left him an address for some individual.Peter visits the army psychiatric hospital, run by a Mr Tarrant, who tells him that David was about to be released when, refusing to wear a tagging device, he overcame the orderlies, killing one of them in the process. It emerges that David holds his father responsible for the death of his younger sister who was killed in an accident just before he returned from Iraq. Peter fails to give Tarrant the address given to him by Bill, simply putting his faith in God.Emilia's filmed suicides hardly impress her tutor. She finally goes to confront her mother Margaret with whom she has been attending counselling sessions. Much of their arguments at these sessions have revolved around Emilia's estranged father, whom Margaret hates to talk about. It emerges that Emilia was actually sexually abused by her father and that her mother took her away while he was on a business trip. Mother and daughter embrace one another, but Emilia then goes home to prepare yet another suicide, this time by gas.Peter goes to the address and presses the buzzer marked "Franklyn", as per the address, but is actually the buzzer to Emilia's flat. She tries to tell him through the intercom that he has the wrong place but, not realising that it is not his son, Peter says that he will be waiting in the restaurant opposite.A man then arrives at Emilia's flat. After introducing himself as "John Preest", he breaks in and, armed with a rifle, takes up a sniper's position at the window. Through the lens, Preest can see his nemesis, The Individual (actually Peter Esser), in the restaurant.Milo himself arrives at the restaurant and confronts Sally over the fact that she is just a figment of his imagination. She tells him to overcome his need for her for someone real. She is about to go when Milo kisses her, only to be shot by Preest (actually David Esser shooting at his father).In the chaos that ensues, Emilia manages to escape her flat which is filled with gas from her failed suicide. David flicks on a lighter, deliberately blowing up the flat and himself. Peter goes to tell the ambulance men about Milo's injury. In the pouring rain, Emilia (who looks a lot like Sally) sees the wounded Milo and, in a case of love at first sight, they approach one another.

Review: I've just come back from the premiere at the London film festival and I've thoroughly enjoyed, it but before I say anything, do not expect it to be "a mix between V for Vendetta and the Dark knight" which is a complete nonsense I read earlier, it's nothing like it.
I think it's going to be hard sell as it is unlike anything I have seen, and if they try to market it as an action/sci fi movie, it will be very misleading but I still definitely recommend it if you're looking for something a bit different..
It's a film that refuses to bend to the will of popular expectation and also to the viewer's clamouring desire for exposition.For that it's to be applauded; it seems remarkable it managed mainstream distribution given the fact so many will be 'bored' ('man') awaiting the connections to satisfy their anticipation.And you may well gather what's going on before it's explained (with a little ultimate dubiety) on screen, but this is still a well-executed piece of cinema with a solid cast that dares to offer something a little different to current lame traits after seemingly setting itself up as just another by-the-numbers collage.Clever at times, atmospheric, beautifully shot with a good cast.
In a parallel world, the dark and chaotic Meanwhile City is ruled and controlled by religious Powers That Be. The masked vigilante Jonathan Preest (Ryan Phillippe) seeks out the evil Mr. Tarrant (Bernard Hill), who has abducted the eleven year-old Sarah to force her to join the Duplex Ride sect.
The movie's alternate realities drew me in and kept me interested, and the eventual juxtaposition of both did so even more.This is a smartly made movie - with very convincing CGI for the fantasy world combined with an almost indie sense of the intimate and human in the alternate world closer to our own.Well this review is not much of a blow-by-blow synopsis, others can do that, but if you appreciate strong acting, and an imaginative script, I don't think you will be disappointed.7/10.
++DONT WORRY I SHALL NOT BE Writing ANY SPOILERS HERE+++ At first, my mind was drawn to the film V for Vendetta - the masked vigilante (played very well by Ryan Phillipe, holding his own in a predominantly British cast) seemed to be a similar character, complete with voice-over, telling us the troubles of Meanwhile City.
Intriguing, exciting, thoughtful, often very moving, and most of all, constantly surprising, Franklyn is by far the most fiercely intelligent and engaging film i have watched in a very long time.
There are movies that, despite their lack of budget and film-makers' experience within the medium of film—despite their failings in telling a coherent, and entertaining story, nevertheless excel in their ability to enthral through idea and theme alone.
Restricted by a small budget and the director and writers' inexperience with feature length productions, the film is interesting to a certain degree but too often falls flat when trying to compel the viewer either through character or plot.
Indeed, this is a bold effort from the first-time filmmaker, and one has to applaud such an audacious venture—but it's also very hard to be convinced by Franklyn either in its grandiose tale, or its dubiously surreal and contorted narrative.For the majority of the feature, we are treated to four stories revolving around four separate characters split over what appears to be two very different timelines of alternate dimensions (this is, of course, merely a subjective speculation on the part of myself, as the truth behind the events of the film are never truly explained—and fair enough, I suppose).
Each of the characters have their own little quirks; Emilia (Eva Green) is an extremist artist driven to video-tape serial suicide attempts made by herself; Milo (Sam Riley), a romantic who has recently been left at the alter; a masked vigilante named Preest (Ryan Phillippe) who occupies the alternate reality within a city named "Meanwhile City" ruled by religion and dogmatic oppression; and a father in search of his son gone missing after a traumatic event involving his sister's death.At first, all the characters within Franklyn's two worlds seem distinct from each other, and without and form of link—so much so that much of the feature's initial hour is slow moving and irksomely disjointed from any sort of clear focus or direction to the first time viewer.
It's a movie that tries too hard to be larger than it really is on paper, and the cracks are all too obvious.In the end, I wanted to like McMorrow's work here a lot more than I actually did—it's brave, interesting and makes some intriguing statements on the nature of reality and our perceptions of such manifestations to ourselves as human beings; but at the end of the day I couldn't bring myself to be convinced or won over by the implementation of such ideas.
For sure, there was potential here within the bare-bones skeleton of McMorrow's premise and themes—but burdened with obstructive restrictions both in a narrative sense and a production sense, Franklyn simply never comes off the page like it should, and the result is lukewarm in every regard; sporadically intriguing, but overly flawed—I have to wonder why this made the big screen at all; I got the feeling that it could have made an even better mini-series for TV.A review by Jamie Robert Ward (http://www.invocus.net).
The best film I have seen this year so far, its so brilliantly strange and such a brain-teasingly satisfying film to watch.The film is a sci-fi thriller/drama about four characters dealing with problems in their life, from Eva Greens character who is a suicidal artist to Sam Riley's character whose bride ran away at the altar.
Jonathon Preest, the mysterious loner of the films alternate reality, Meanwhile City, is the only atheist in a city gripped by Faith, where every resident must have a religion which lends weight to the films plot and themes.All the cast were very good at their parts, Phillippe does well as Preest without going into deep voiced batman territory and Eva Green portrays her very flawed character with enough humanity to keep you interested without becoming fed up with her characters behaviour.The film constantly switches between the two settings, to both dramatic effect and to keep the film moving at a solid pace that should have you guessing at the link between all the characters and how the alternate reality of Meanwhile city ties in with them.
Its safe to say that you shouldn't let anyone spoil the films twists or plot for you, because its twists often seem predictable before hand but upon their realisation they can be quite surprising reveals.For those familiar with films such as Donnie Darko, the ideas driving the film may seem to be done and dusted but Franklyn's fresh approach to the concepts as well as its stunning execution make this film worthy of anyone looking to engage their thoughts in some very interesting concepts regarding, reality and perception.
Was a bit wary of this one - had read comments about it being pretentious and a little too clever for it's own good.No need to worry on either front.Thought it was excellent - beautifully shot, fabulous performances by all involved and the story comes together wonderfully.
Sam Riley was quite convincing as a bit of a loser, and Ryan Phillippe seemed to enjoy his masked role.I saw the premiere at The London Film Festival and the director explained that some of the sci-fi imagery was based on the spires of Cambridge.
Ryan Phillippe said that he did indeed act in all the masked shots, even those where he fights the "clerics" - having studied martial arts since he was eight !This film will make you think, but be prepared for a gradual exposition, rather than any great revelations..
Sam Riley is good as always, Eva green gets the biggest role and rocks at it, an Ryan Phillipe really surprised me (he didn't like him much before this movie).i enjoyed it, i think it has some flaws, but in the end it is just what it promises to be: unusual and artistic.
First-time director/writer Gerald McMorrow makes a great debut with "Franklyn", a cryptic fantasy-thriller about 4 lost souls in different times & places, bound together by a mystery that slowly unravels to a brilliant climax.The story is told in fragments, and if you're not paying attention you might easily get lost.
The point I'm making is that McMorrow's directorial debut has elements of many great directors tied together in a fresh, original way.There's not as much action in this film as in most fantasy-thrillers.
As many other reviewers have already written, the film tells the of apparently unconnected four persons living in London, three in the present and one in the future.In the film we learn at, a snail's pace, the story of these characters, which are totally and completely uninteresting.
Once in a blue moon, a film comes along that defies genre identification ...and so goes FRANKLYN, a movie that transcends anything you think you've ever seen.
Looking, as stated earlier, somewhere along the lines of a Frank Miller graphic mixed with a kind of Dark Knight quality, the story intrigues and makes us cheer on the main character, Jonathan Preest (Ryan Philleppe, FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS).
Also, a man in search of his missing son comes to the psychiatrist who'd been treating him only to learn that his son escaped and is out in the world with a rifle slung over his shoulder.As the two story lines begin to mesh, reality skews, men and women we thought we knew either don't exist, exist as something else, or are strictly symbols (including a janitor who plays a vital role).
We just never see them move through it enough!Preest's fantasy city is where the film should focus, Emilia should feature here somehow yet Eva Green's too busy playing Milo's imaginary girlfriend instead of opposite Ryan Philippe.
The movie is a must see, different despite all the ones that criticizes it, and give a bad not a bad a really bad note, i would like those persons, to mention their favorite movies, and we will see a distortion mind of reality, maybe them could get a different story, as the one of this movie, this one ans Sin City are those kind of movies that make me pay for them no mater how much, and i think all people expect only story's like the theoric method of writing one, once upon a time, and by that way the last year we came across with a really bad movies, not surprising ones, so this movie, gives the effect that a movie should do, amuse you, surprise you, and you just keep thinking on its story, how many movies for ex soap pop comedy's like fast food that are made that makes you what this king of movies do...m the only responsibility for not having good movies like this one, its because we are not demanding that, and just eat what they gave to us....
It has a heavy artistic slant at the beginning that leads you to think that this movie is trying to be pompous and only to appeal to either students or the conceptual, but the heavy art subsides gradually to a sense of normality, and it is this that drives the story.
Also, the cinematography was quite annoying, but I liked that the overall theme of the film came across in the colouring of the scenes, and that this is a dark film but still with short episodes of light.The characters and their interwoven story lines challenge your mind to guess about their relation to one another, and what their role in their ending could be.
Ryan Phillipe as Jonathon Priest, however, irritated me, because he seemed to be trying to be V from V for Vendetta, but the character himself I found to be intriguing.Despite reviews saying that this is a lot like the aforementioned V For Vendetta, it only has certain elements that are similar; for example, a masked man seeking revenge for a previous event.
This is one of those movies that Film Students will love, spending hours trying to decode the "hidden complexities of the story", in order to reveal the "true message of the director" (it's an attempt to make themselves feel superior to non-film students); well let me save normal people the trouble..
It's actually left me wondering if the lottery film board paid for two different movies - neither of which they could afford to finish, so meshed the two together to make a whole one.If you're looking for something creative and interesting, go see "push", or better yet, go rent V for Vendetta.Just an additional note to the person who said "grow up" - YOU grow up and realise that not everyone in the world will like the same movies you do, and they have the same right to express their option as you do!!.
an epic fail.By the half of the movie, about 15% of the people in the theater left and at that point I realized I was still waiting for it to "begin".To make the long story short, the movie is terrible, unoriginal and extremely boring.Don't waste your money and time on this..
In fact, the most rewarding element of the film was that each character resorts to a fantasy world when their emotional state becomes so disturbed that other people can no longer (or no long wish to) connect with them.
The acting of the four main leads, Ryan Phillippe, Bernard Hill, Eva Green, and Sam Riley is superb throughout, lending the story a bleak feeling of reality only sporadically interrupted by the even bleaker visits to Meanwhile City.
Though extremely unusual and often just downright weird, this film delivered a rather hopeful (yet not overly done) message through some of the darker characters I've encountered lately.The fact that the ending (a nicely written convergence) threw me for a loop was a nice surprise too as that is a rare thing to find in movies these days.All told, it was something different that is definitely worth a watch..
It's plot meanders about with cuts that make little sense, the emotion doesn't hit home, and while it is not incumbent on a movie to raise questions and then answer them (sometimes the point is there is not an answer, at least not a clear one), that's an artistic decision that needs intelligence and skill to pull off, and the movie lacked both, at least when it came to storytelling.There's enough hope at the start for something to tie it all together into something that might be decent, I was intrigued, and I'm fine with a slow pace, but what did come together in the end was a mess without emotional impact.Sorry if this all sounds harsh, perhaps despite my protestations to the contrary I am merely an uncultured barbarian who cannot appreciate the deep themes that were being aimed for...but I find it hard to credit the movie enough to think that.
However, his parts are almost like an action film, whereas the London bits are more like your basic melodrama, leaving the viewer feeling a little off balance.There is definitely an interesting story here (and made more interesting the way it's told).
Emilia (who, of course, looks like Sally, what with Eva Green playing both of them) and Milo, both wounded (both physically and psychologically, see, I got that) stumble into each other's arms, the end.I have no problem with movies which present narratives in fantasy and real worlds, where the former can be explained by reference to the latter (Wizard of Oz, A Matter of Life and Death etc.).
In modern day London, a jilted young man hooks up with an old flame, a man searches for his sick son and a young female art student expresses her art in an extreme manner.Meanwhile, in the Gothic, sprawling metropolis of Meanwhile City, a vigilante by the name of Jonathan Preest makes plans to kill the cult leader responsible for the death of a young girl.The stories are connected, but in ways that you cannot imagine.Or maybe you could imagine, oh so easily, how the stories were connected?After a first hour of pure confusion and head scratching by yours truly, I thought that the final revelations in "Franklyn" were a tad bit obvious.
It was a shame because "Franklyn" did have some good ideas, looked wonderful (the comparison between the darkly futuristic Meanwhile City and boring old London was strikingly realised), and the performances of Bernard Hill and Eva Green were top notch, even if she looked a little bit old to be playing an art student.
the way the stories intertwined at the end was terrible, and you could have replaced eva green's character with any random person yet the scene would play out the same 3.
One is an artist battling with her mother and her life (Green), a young man trying to deal with a lost love, a father (Bernard Hill) trying to track down his son and costumed vigilante (Ryan Phillipe) living in a city somewhere in another time and place where everyone must believe in a god of some sort (ala 7th day Manicurists.
I give the film points for being a unique vision, but at the same time its not always the easiest film to connect to, I think its fragmented story telling makes the film a little bit too much work for the pay off, ultimately I wanted to feel a little bit more at the end.
The various main characters play dual roles in both fictional MEANWHILE & London.The transition between both is not always clear,but stay with it.Gerald McMorrow wrote & directed with skill.It stars Ryan Philippe, he is becoming a first rate actor, Like many actors who depended on there looks when they started out became very good dramatic actors as time went by,Bernard Hill a veteran of UK cinema is excellent as usual.