Popular reviews

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  Review by davidehrlich ★★★ 2

  “Frankie,” by the American writer-director Ira Sachs, is a tiny little trinket of a film. It’s like an elegant bracelet that’s modest enough to go unnoticed, but nevertheless reveals a quietly exquisite beauty to those who are willing to lean in and look closer (even if they have to squint). In other words, it’s an Ira Sachs movie, only more so. But in this one, that bracelet is being worn by Isabelle Huppert, and it fits on her wrist like a second skin.

  Sachs has always been a storyteller who doesn’t create his characters so much as he observes them from a safe but intimate distance — watching them the way you might catch yourself staring at a stranger on…

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  Review by Allison M. 🌱 ★★★ 1

  Tuesday, I rewatched Frankie. In my first review, I was a little underwhelmed. There were a lot of characters. The first time watching it, I was trying to figure out the family dynamic and I didn't know where it would lead. The second time, it seemed more straightforward.

  The strength is in the performances. Isabelle Huppert is great as always, although I would have preferred some chaos, as it seems like she thrives on it as an actress.

  In any case, it was a delightful film.

  Q&A with director Ira Sachs and actor Greg Kinnear

  Vegan alert:
  -Reference to Keen’s steakhouse
  -Milk referenced as being in the coffee

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  Review by anna ★★½

  I hope Isabelle had a fun vacation in portugal while filming this

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  Review by MJsays ★★★½

  Lightweight and contemplative; like stepping out of your front door on a vibrant spring morning, feeling the sun kiss your face and embracing that very brief moment of warmth before it fades away. With a simple story, subtle performances and some gorgeously captured locations to tie this ensemble drama together, Frankie is well worth the trip. Not to mention, it finishes with one of the most beautiful closing shots of 2019.

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  Review by Allison M. 🌱 ★★★ 5

  Cannes 2019
  Film #22

  “A little damaged, but lovely.”

  Frankie modestly sets the scene for dying actress Françoise Crémont (Isabelle Huppert). She is surrounded by her friends, family, and ex-husband on vacation in Sintra, Portugal. Frankie has plans for her family, but of course, like any real family, they have ideas of their own. It works well as a character piece, as everyone was developed so nicely. Frankie is real, not wanting any superficial cures, but her lack of desire to try to save herself also left me wanting more in the story. 

  There is a common theme in Ira Sachs’ work: dissatisfaction in current relationships. Frankie’s son, Paul (Jérémie Rénier), seems dissatisfied with every woman he meets, his step-sister,…

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  Review by teamgal ★★★

  A very literate script, an exceptional cast, an extremely photogenic location and intelligent directorial choices. But FRANKIE is a slight film that, oftentimes, fails to come to life. One senses that this felt right on the page but as the actors recite their lines the writing frequently takes precedence over the emotional content and we're left with something that feels just a bit bland.

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  Review by Jackie ★★★★ 2

  “find it before you look for it.”

  an actress who only has a few months left to live and decides to take a getaway with her family in Sintra, Portugal. there, the family deals with life experiences involving marital problems, relationship issues, the inevitable topic of death, etc. 

  Isabelle Huppert, who stars as the titular Frankie, is the glue that seemingly keeps this family together. her son is moving to New York, her step daughter and her husband are having marital problems and thinking about divorce, her hairstylist and closest friend is contemplating whether to settle down or not, etc. there were comedic moments alleviating the stress and innate sadness that surrounds them — death will happen, that can’t just…

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  Review by Chris Feil ★★★★ 2

  Whatever, I think this movie is great

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  Review by Enfant du Siècle ★★★½ 2

  During a day of vacation in Sintra, a series of characters gathered around a famous actress, meet and separate while walking through the beautiful streets of this Portuguese city and engage in conversations that gradually reveal the bonds they share. Frankie is a contained drama with some moments of genuine tenderness in which Ira Sachs builds a mosaic on human relationships. Life, death, and love combine in a bucolic setting of great beauty that is perfect for looking at the past with nostalgia and remembering the joys and sorrows of life. Frankie is one of those contemplative film in which apparently nothing happens but in a closer examination it is a reflection on the fleetingness of life.

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  Review by DNA cinephile🏳️‍🌈 ★★★

  Frankie. 2019. Directed by Ira Sachs.

  Basically a great vacation flick. Sintra, Portugal is gorgeous. Isabelle Huppert give a small but dynamic performance as a terminally ill matriarch. Unfortunately, the supporting cast’s characters were not well developed and the ending did not summarize the plot. But, I love Isabelle Huppert and it was a calming movie of which I desperately needed. 

  
  AppleTV+

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  Review by {Todd} ★★

  "It was the legs first, then the arms..... then the face" - Tour Guide,

  There is a scene where Isabelle Huppert and Marisa Tomei laugh together and then hug, and that was my favorite part!

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  Review by Alex Billington ★★★★

  Relationships & family crash & churn like waves on a beach while on a vacation to Sintra, Portugal. A light film with a very tender touch. Ira Sachs is so wonderful at making his actors feel so comfortable in their roles, always a delight to watch them. There's a theatricality to this film, but it works thanks to the tenderness. Not my favorite Sachs film, but it has some lovely moments. The final shot is really special.