FRANKLYN - DVD review

"Franklyn," a new Image Entertainment release, is among the denser films I've seen in recent memory. It jumps from reality to fantasy and back regularly, leaving a complex plot and subpar screenplay to hold and anchor it amidst some average acting and mediocre plot elements. The film simply tries to be too much, and in spreading itself entirely too thin, winds up not covering enough area to stand alone independently.

I didn't know whether or not to interpret "Franklyn" as a graphic novel, science fiction endeavor, suspense and thriller roller coaster or dark adventure film. There are moments where you can convincingly argue it is all these and perhaps more, which means it's spread too thin to do any particular genre justice. The main characters are young enough to look like they're starring in a longer "Dawson's Creek," "One Tree Hill" or "90210" episode, but thankfully they're not as over-privileged or fabricated.

The other major issue is its pace. "Franklyn" takes far too long to get going, and builds to a climax near the end that doesn't live up to all its foundational anticipation. Sure, there are a few fights, explosions and gunshots mixed in, but in no way can they compensate for what's basically a super slow moving film. If the characters were deeper, acting performances stronger and screenplay richer, perhaps the pace wouldn't be that big a deal. It's not the case, unfortunately, generating another area where "Franklyn" falls short. The plot can't really be explained thoroughly unless you watch the film from start to finish, and at just over 90 minutes you might have the time to invest. That's fine if you're up for it, but don't expect this to parallel something like "Lolita" or "Memento" on any level.

As the film begins, we meet Jonathan Preest (Ryan Phillippe), who makes his living in a futuristic looking but not so friendly place called Meanwhile City. Jonathan seems like a nice enough guy with just one single task: to kill The Individual, who's responsible for stopping him from saving a young girl in his past. Jonathan's failure to save her has haunted him ever since, and even living in a religious place like Meanwhile City (everyone has to declare a religion, and it doesn't really matter what that is, just so long as everybody has one) can't help him get through this dark period (he doesn't believe in any God, higher power or heavenly body). Hell bent on fulfilling his mission, he doesn't want to be deterred or messed with, evidenced through the way he treats Wormsnakes (Stephen Walters), a transient who turns him in to the police. Thanks to some nifty moves, Jonathan gets away unscathed and resumes his quest.

Next, we're taken to a modern day London psychiatrist's office. A talented young artist named Emilia Bryant (Eva Green) is seated next to her mother, clearly fitting the rebellious daughter mold. Emilia smokes like a chimney, periodically attempts to commit suicide, draws with incredible ease and frazzles her mother with little difficulty. She wants to find her father, but is regularly told not to by her mother, and in response acts out in extremes, all of which jeopardize her shaky college education. Emilia's that character with something under her skin that angers and fuels her. She's the most complex in the film, and unfortunately doesn't get the attention she deserved from writer and director Gerald McMorrow. Her passion for art sustains her daily life, and opens her world to others in a certain regard she wouldn't event know about without this skill set.

Milo (Sam Riley) is the nice who finishes last. Recently left alone by his bride to be on their wedding day, Milo thinks back to another girl he knew during his youth. Sally was beautiful, elegant and passionate. He sees her in passing, and when proclaiming his excitement to his mother, is told she's been dead for many years. His disbelief piles onto his existing anguish, and not even his close friends can provide enough wine to shake his obvious frustrations. Milo continues to "see" Sally around London, and becomes obsessed with telling her how he truly feels. No one can seem to get through to him, and his mental state becomes less steady as "Franklyn" progresses. You want to grab Milo by the shoulders and shake some sense into him, but he's so genuine and humble it probably wouldn't do much good.

Lastly, we meet Peter Esser (Bernard Hill), an older fellow who's wandering aimlessly searching for his son, David. Peter's son has been fighting in Iraq and recently got some vacation time to enjoy, but he can't be found anywhere. The Army fears he's run off, and Peter can't seem to locate David anywhere. Like Milo, Peter becomes drunk with desire to find and help his son. He's confronted by many who tell him he won't ever find David, but continues to knock on doors, put up pictures and make phone calls. His desperation is apparent from his first appearance in the film, and it turns to anguish after not too long.

Basically, these four players go about their own business for the first three-quarters of "Franklyn." Be it in Meanwhile City or London, we get to watch these characters, all who are more similar than it appears, struggle in one capacity or another. All are dealing with some major life difficulty, all feel alone and want something better to come with the next day's morning. They don't really interact with each other until the last quarter of the movie, and by then any suspense built up has eroded away.

As individual characters, each has pluses and minuses. As a collective, they don't have any chemistry, which might be why they're segregated until the film's end. Phillippe's performance is pretty decent, and he plays a credible bad guy that you end up rooting for. Riley seems like he plays himself, exhibiting a natural humbleness and genuine persona. Green is haunting and fits the part physically, while Hill has definitely had better days. I don't think any lead performer had much to work with, though. Writer/director McMorrow's script is flawed with an overdone and less than inspiring voiceover narration from Phillippe's character. Designed to provide some direction to the film, the narration just doesn't work. It's almost irritating to listen to. Lines are either way too predictable or out of place, but either way isn't a good route.

Eventually, lives intertwine, violence ensues, the fictitious Meanwhile City spills into the real London, and we get a little indirect commentary on post-combat treatment for Iraqi veterans. The film leaves you beyond uncertain, and perhaps worse, shares little, but tragic, resolve for its main characters. It's got potential, but the flaws that outweigh it are far too prevalent.

"Franklyn" is a dark film that doesn't require you to turn out the lights to get its not so cheerful message. Its execution leaves much to be desired, so should you choose to turn out the lights anyway, you likely won't miss a ton.

Video:
Despite being presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio (2.35:1) and being anamorphically enhanced for widescreen televisions, "Franklyn" looks just above average. Most of the film takes place at night or in the dark, so I can't say much about bright colors. The darks are, well, dark and clear, but because there's nothing to really offset their presence, the whole picture feels skewed. I didn't see much grain, but as a whole the image just doesn't flow as it should.

Audio:
The film's Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtrack is better than its video. All spoken dialogue comes through with no difficulty, and sound effects, including punches, gunfire and explosions, all are quite audible. The background noise compliments foreground scenes quite well, and both English and Spanish subtitles are available if you need or want them. It's hardly a dominating audio track, but for this type of film it holds its own.

Extras:
A pretty standard cookie-cutter offering is tacked onto the DVD, including the theatrical trailer, a featurette that goes behind the scenes, some deleted scenes and a few interviews with the cast and director McMorrow. Nothing here is extremely detailed, probably because after watching the dense film you'll need a nap.

A Final Word:
"Franklyn" simply attempts to do too much without having enough to do it with. It's slightly clever, but not impressive or worth watching more than once. The parallel world concept doesn't work with these characters or script, and the whole thing feels slow. Despite its potential, there are few opportunities along the way to leap beyond that threshold.