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Franklyn (2008)

Director: Gerald McMorrow

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19 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

Set partly in modern London and partly in the retro-futuristic metropolis of Meanwhile City, where church and state are one, British writer/director Gerald McMorrow’s urban fairy tale requires an act of faith from its audience.

Wearing a hollow-eyed mask to conceal his identity, atheist vigilante Preest (Ryan Phillippe) roams the decaying streets of Meanwhile City in search of his nemesis, The Individual.
In the parallel reality of London, jilted groom Milo (Sam Riley) tries to regain his faith in pure love through a tentative relationship with his childhood sweetheart, flame-haired teacher Sally (Eva Green). Adrift in the alien city, a lonely father (Bernard Hill) searches for his estranged, war-damaged son in the capital’s homeless shelters. Tortured goth artist Emilia (Eva Green again) stages her suicidal cries for help as disturbing video installations that are more twisted therapy than expressive art. Comic-book myth, everyday life and deranged dreams coalesce, as fantasy violence spills over into the real world. Finally, we see that the characters’ disturbed fantasies of love and death are born of genuine psychological damage.

A vivid and emotionally charged denouement, which draws together the numerous characters’ individual fates, was McMorrow’s starting point. He then worked backwards to create a series of interwoven story threads. Sadly, for much of the film, these threads feel more like loose ends than part of a developing narrative pattern. Still, ‘Franklyn’ has conceptual boldness and visual imagination that set it apart from the pack.

Author: Nigel Floyd

Time Out London Issue 2010, 26 Feb - 4 Mar, 2009

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User reviews of this film

Franklyn said...

Posted on Nov 20 2011 23:37 Terrible movie that was contrived in it's interpretation of psychological trauma and had far too many loose ends. How on earth did the janitor guy manage to meet up with the imaginary Sally; does the abandoned mop indicate he too was imaginary and if so how were three of the main protaganists able to imagine the same guy independently??? Tries to be clever but just ends up being the opposite.

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Carinthia said...

Posted on Jan 03 2011 22:57 Maybe it's because I think Sam Riley is the bomb, but I really enjoyed this film, the look and mood of it is beautiful, even if the story is a bit cryptic. One to catch on DVD for sure.

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MDStrawHat said...

Posted on Jan 24 2010 11:52 This is an awesome movie. One of the best i've seen i really liked it.

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Mabel said...

Posted on Oct 23 2009 17:48 I don't agree with some of the other comments here. Eva Green's performance was dark, for sure, but I couldn't take my eyes off her. The film is not aping films like Dark Knight or Watchman, it's more like how the the truth is twisted in a damaged mind to create a parallel reality. i thought it was cool that this was made as an independent British movie in London, and there's no point tearing down a first film from a promising filmmaker. It's not perfect, but it is intriguing.

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Tarrant said...

Posted on Jun 13 2009 12:34 In response to the previous review, the characters all clearly end up at the same address as Emila lives in the building, David moves in there, and his father tracks him down when he is given the address by Wasnik, the guy he beat up. Milo has arranged to meet Sally at the restaurant opposite... I thought the ending was neat.
I really liked the movie, it didn't unfold the way I expected but that's part of the beauty. If you like mainstream Hollywood fare, this isn't for you, but if you want an interesting thriller with unusual characters that's easy on the eye, check this out.

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monro3 said...

Posted on May 30 2009 12:09 I kinda agree with all... Eva Green was great, maybe not directed as should be, the photo is stunning, the plot kinda weak in keep it all together at the end, i think there were a lot of missing parts, u kinda start to feel like the actors are gettin to somewhere and all of the sudden its the end... lol.. really dark with i loved, the guy with the imaginary friend? mmh i think it was just something to fill blanks lol nothing to do with it.. the 3 characters has nothing to do and they put them 2gether in a sec.. HOW IN HELL THE 4 OF THEM KNOW THE ADRESS... anyway despite that i loved it hahahaha honestly? dnt know why hahaha

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mei said...

Posted on May 04 2009 04:59 i have to agree with Diego whoever you are.
i saw this film recently and was extremely disappointed. the acting is mediocre, and there is a real disconnect between the characters and the whole concept of religion vs. state. the story line is just bad bad bad.
i waited the entire film in hopes there would be some meaning plus ii had already wasted enough time watching it. i tried to give it fair chance but when emilia starts dancing like a maniac in her red dress and smeared eye makeup, i burst out laughing...
meanwhile city??? the individual? david "priest"? terrible writing. terrible film.

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diego said...

Posted on May 04 2009 04:46 really really really one of the worst movies i have ever seen, it truly made me understand that the british aren't made for futuristic movies. i can't really figure out how and why they even spent the money for it. the actors in all honesty were quite bad and the script even worst. the story isn't clear at all and there are huge holes in the story line which any way was hard to follow because of boredom.

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Avril said...

Posted on Apr 02 2009 11:20 I was interested to see this as an independent British film but didn't quite know what to expect from the poster. I thought it might be fantasy fare like Pan's Labryinth, but in truth this is only a small part of the story. It is more a psychological thriller with Eva Green as a troubled art student and Sam Riley (gorgeous) as the boy fated to save her from herself. I found it really intriguing and anyone interested in unusual stories will appreciate it.

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Faroukh said...

Posted on Apr 02 2009 07:04 Fantastic cinematography, brilliant actors, however, the plot is a bit sketchy and the characters underdeveloped. The story feels blurry but then again so is the human mind. Blurry and confused at times.

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francesca said...

Posted on Mar 22 2009 17:09 i thought was a brilliant journey in the human mind . Even a everyday paranoia is a meanwhile city because ia a way we see things. And if the movie is a bit loose sometimes is because so it s our mind ,i think !10/10

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jw said...

Posted on Mar 05 2009 23:25 I thought the cinematography was really beautiful, and I'm a big Eva Green fan so it was nice to see her in a more unusual role than just a sex kitten. She kind of has to carry the movie as a Tracey Emin-type artist but she is very relatable. I didn't know the guy she played opposite but I thought they had a good connection. The movie gave me a lot to think about, like a puzzle. It's not a superhero film, more like a mystery to do with the emotions. I liked it.

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jamie said...

Posted on Mar 05 2009 18:13 not what i thought it was gunna be really disapointed took too long to get into then it was all over in a flash pretty boring

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F Leith said...

Posted on Oct 28 2008 16:19 I was surprised at the 5 star reviews; it was a bit selfconscious and wayward and the performances are a bit stilted

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Time Out Film Editor said...

Posted on Oct 21 2008 14:12 For those interested in 'Franklyn': Time Out will be hosting a special preview of this film at the BFI Southbank in London on Sunday Nov 23 at 8.45pm. You can buy tickets now via 020 7928 3232 or at bfi.org.uk
Thanks,
Dave Calhoun
Film Editor, Time Out

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