Frankie Starlight

This is a beautiful movie that is touching. Anne Parillaud character in this film is an innocent young girl who seems lost throughout the film searching for something, maybe love. This movie was supposed to be about a dwarf named Frankie when in fact it is really about a lost beautiful young woman named Bernadette searching for something.

This movie deserves an 8 but I give it a 10 out of 10 because I just adore Anne Parillaud and most of her work. There are some things in this world that touch you almost inexplicably and this film is one of them. Today it seems like there are fewer examples of this. Maybe this would explain why most are numb and apathetic.

"Frankie Starlight" is a sensitive, plaintive, wistful and sometimes ethereal drama about the life of a man and his struggle with dwarfism. The film brings together an solid cosmopolitan cast as it tells the story of Frankie as both a man and a boy with scenes of each interleaved. Though the film is not evocative or compelling, it is mildly entertaining and well shot, directed, and acted. Good easy going stuff with little to fault.

Corban Walker and Alan Pentony are both wonderful (would love to see more performances by both) and give the nuanced portrayals that give the title character life and depth that linger past the end of the movie. Gabriel Byrne also is particularly good as one of the two "fathers" that give Frankie all the love and acceptance of which they are capable; the flaws of these men show their compassion that much more clearly. The central figure of Frankie's mother remains elusive (purposefully) and one of her chief motivations is let drop mid-way through the film; but the resolutions of the film are perfect and the astronomy theme provides a setting for most of the actors to portray greater depth for their characters.

The story of a man suffering Dwarfism, his autobiography and book(and what happens to him in his adult life, following the publication) offering a chronology of the life his independent and determined mother Bernadette, who escapes France during WWII, has an affair with a married Irish immigration official after reaching those shores, and finally tries to make life work in Texas. She is inspiring as she keeps fighting in spite of adversity and trying to make things right, not putting her burden on others. And her son, the titular Frank, is an image of how poorly "unusual" people are treated, and sadly it results in his low self esteem. This is a very touching film, without devolving into melodrama or manipulation. It utilizes a few brief instances to convey to you what this particular situation is like, it's not hammered home or lingered on, so instead we can move on to the next thing. It leads to a movie that comments well on several things without being preachy - social behavior, religion, and human nature. Not every character is entirely developed, but you get a sense of what they're like, and they do feel like real people. While they may not be likable, you can recognize them, and not only outside of yourself. The performances are great. There is a little language and sexuality, none of it gratuitous, in this. The DVD comes with a trailer for this and a photo gallery. I recommend this to fans of the actors and of drama. 7/10

Saw this film on TV last night, and was blown away by the performances of Alan Pentony and Corban Walker, as the child and adult Frankie. When I read the credits and saw an Acting Coach listed for them, I guessed they were first-time actors. This was confirmed by the Showcase movie host after the film, and makes their achievements even more impressive. Kudos to director Michael Lindsay-Hogg!

Gabriel Byrne was also wonderful - charming and tender - the farewell scene in the park was heartbreaking in its understated simplicity. I'm not a big fan of Anne Parillaud - I saw her in "La Femme Nikita" and an amusing American vampire/cop comedy whose title I can't recall - and the charm of that doe-eyed silent gaze wears off after you've seen it a few times. Still, she conveys the mysterious allure necessary for this role, and it's easy to see why these men fall for her.

Overall, "Frankie Starlight" is a lovely movie, and it's a shame it didn't do better at the box office. Anyone who loves the music of an Irish accent, as I do, will be charmed by that, even if nothing else in this beautiful story (which has a happy ending, by the way!) catches your fancy. Plus, the score under the closing credits was a gorgeous piano and cello combination which kept the mood to the end.