Frank and Ava

I expected more considering there was some capable talent in the cast. This was just too difficult to watch. Performances were not convincing in the least and the script was expository. I couldn't get past the first half hour.

So, I finally got my Blu-Ray of Frank and Ava. I've been looking forward to watching it ever since Emily Elicia Low announced she was working on it. I really, really want to love this movie because she's in it.

When I see her on the screen she always puts out a certain something, but I admit I'm biased. The problem is, well, there are a number of problems actually.

First, the good, I loved the cars, the clothes, and many of the locations. It was great to see Harry Dean Stanton and Katherine Helmond in their last roles as well as veterans like Robert Costanzo and Eric Roberts. Ron Pritchard killed as Sammy Davis Jr. and the people playing the newscasters and rumor mongers were overall excellent. A very nice use of underused talent. Robin Arcuri as a stenographer is an almost criminal under use of talent.

The not so good involved much of the script which just did not seem to give Emily the right words. I'm not sure if there was some bad directing going or or if they just chose to limit the number of shoots, but the scenes with her varied from excellent to ones I really think they should have shot again.

The subplot dealing with abortion managed to get lost along the way and could have easily been cut. The scene in Africa with the "Frank is bigger" should have been cut completely, it was really, really bad and there was no excuse for it.

There were times when there really should have been more people in the scene and their lack was missing. The cinematography/lighting jumped around from movie quality to cheap TV show settings.

Seeing the old school royalty chatting about Frank and Ava was a nice touch.

Overall I was not unhappy I watched it, but for whatever reason what could have been, did not happen. I'll still watch Emily Elicia Low's next film.

Old Blue Eyes didn't have blue eyes. Ava, a physically beautiful woman in real life wasn't portrayed by a beautiful actress in this film. Very boring. Didn't finish it.

Leave Frank and Ava - the real Frank and Ava - alone, ok?

I have never felt the need to write a review before but after seeing this travesty I instantly made an account and now here we are. I have been an Ava Gardner fan since I was a teen. Why couldn't this movie get an actress that looked like her even a little?? Why couldn't they get an actress that didn't make her look like a bumbling floozy?? Ava was a very smart and talented woman with a near genius IQ. Then there's the insane amount of historical inaccuracies. If you're a Sinatra fan you won't be happy with this either (Check out the HBO movie The Rat Pack for a great Sinatra portrayal). HORRIBLY casted, Horribly acted piece of melodramatic garbage. I truly hope a great actress and director come along and make an Ava Gardner biopic that is true to the amazing woman that she truly was some day.