Frauds

Offbeat, a little unnerving and completely bizarre, Frauds sets a challenging tone for a supposed comedy from the offset with a bit of casual child death. However, when the film in question features Phil Collins talking into a Lego Phone rapidly intercut with extreme closeup shots of the woman on the other end, it's hard not to get invested in the madcap and wacky mania of it all. Stephan Elliott directs the film with a brilliant amount of Ozzy absurdism, the tones don't always mesh well together, jumping from between being a darkly comedic thriller to an outright horror but his pension for visual inventiveness more than makes up for it, playing like a sadistic funhouse ride. The performances all around are great, especially from Hugo Weaving but Collins steals the show and is easily the best part of the film, bringing an exorbitant amount of manic energy to his role, one that feels as if Phil the Shill from Miami Vice had gone completely loco, once again making me wish that he did more live-action roles. Granted the soundtrack is a bit naff, a bit too jaunty here and there and one that really could have used Phil's magic touch, but for all its faults, Frauds is a delightfully deranged little film, certainly a roll of the dice for its viewer but one that's a blast from start to end.

Watched this one not feeling totally sure how well I'd enjoy it. It seemed like a low budget film which may be amusing for a while then fizzle out, but I'm happy to say I was well interested throughout the film.

The first 5-10 minutes felt a little choppy, like a very rough cut of the film trying to show us a noteworthy aspect we should keep in mind and doing it more haphazardly than it means to. Once we're into the "present time" I guess you'd say, the editing levels out. It feels almost like a kid's movie at times, though with a more adult-but-still-a-bit-silly theme about it.

I don't want to sell this as a "silly" movie. It certainly feels a bit silly at moments and has several moments of questionable setups, but it works for the world that's been setup for us. At least, if you're into the film, it works. One does have to let logic go a wee bit to enjoy this film. If you can't do that, this is probably not the film for you.

Phil Collins is delightfully fun in his sleezy role. I haven't seen him on "Miami Vice," but this is very much how I imagine his character on that show to be like. Really all the acting is good in this. Hugo Weaving and Josephine Byrnes are both terrific; I really liked them more as the film went on.

This is the first film of Stephan Elliott's that I have seen, and based on this film, I am interested in seeing more.

I am giving this a 7 because I did enjoy it overall. It's a fun, light film with a dark twinge to it. It's not a deep film, there's not a lot to take away from it, it didn't make me feel anything substantial. It was a good watch though. I would certainly be game to watch this again in the near future.

I had a vague memory of this film from my childhood and it was a lot of fun to revisit it a couple of decades later. It has a bizarre aesthetic and some seriously wooden acting (particularly in the early scenes), but once Phil Collins enters the action, the film hits its sweet spot in the second act before going off the rails towards the end. The characters all make weird, bonehead decisions, which is infuriating because the end product could have been so much better. Still, I enjoyed the brazen bizarreness of it all and for originality alone it scores in the positive. Incidentally you can (at the time of writing this review) watch it for free on YouTube.

Coming across this late at night on ITV1 was quite a find really. I had heard of it, and the idea of Phil Collins as a demented villain did appeal. I really liked the oddball quality of it all, with Collins wonderful as a jovial, buffoonish grinner, treading the line between menace and absurdity in portraying one Roland Copping, who one might call a tad eccentric. The lunacy and non-sequiturs build up very effectively in the middle of the film; perhaps the tone might have been made a little more dark, or perhaps less light, presumably with different, less jaunty music.

Maybe it tails off slightly, but the ending somehow seems to me a gem. The absurdism isn't compromised by a happy ending, it is strengthened by a subtle, fitting conclusion.

I wouldn't say this was a perfect film, but it is damn enjoyable, far from the mainstream and never bland. The sets, by the way, for Copping's house, are fab; just thought I had to add that!

Rating:- *** 1/2/*****

By far this is one of my favorite movies. It is so different than the norm that Hollywood puts out. I came across it one morning on one of the movie channels. I watched the last 45 minutes of it, but was so intrigued I had to track down the movie. I finally found a copy on the PAL system, got it and had it transfered over to VHS. This was a few years ago. I wish they would release it on to DVD.

Phil Collins gives a wonderful performance, he needs to do more movies roles. Hugo Weaving is also a delight to watch, it is different to see him in a non-action role. I recommend this movie to anyone who is lucky to come across it.