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Franklyn (Film)

by Kim-Marie Hall | November 11, 2009 10:30 | Edited November 11, 2009 10:32

Sci-fi meets comic book meets film noir, leaving big questions at its core to be answered by the audience.

Feature debut director Gerald McMorrow's thriller opens your eyes to the possibilities of a modified metropolis and how far CGI can be pushed.

 

Franklyn follows four characters that lead completely different lives but are all searching for something; ultimately tangled by fate. 

 

Jonathan Preest (Ryan Phillippe) is an atheist, living in a parallel to contemporary London, Meanwhile City, a place that is ruled by religion.

 

The second character, Emilia (Eva Green) is a depressive, sardonic beautiful young woman. Emilia is living her art project through filming suicide attempts whilst her contemptuous mother (Susannah York) plays privy to her life. Green gives an outstanding performance, eventually realising the true value of life.

 

Enter the third character, also residing in present day London, Milo (Sam Riley), bringing the themes of love and fate into play. Having just been left at the altar and in desperate search of an illusive first love, Milo makes you realise how fragile love can be.

 

Finally we see a grief stricken Peter Esser (Bernard Hill from Lord Of The Rings, Valkyrie), in search of his son, David, who has been mentally scarred by the Gulf War and missing on the streets of London.

 

All of the characters are missing something from their lives, and it is fate that brings this to a head in a climactic final scene.

 

The film's look and tone changes regularly, contrasting London with Meanwhile City, without ever losing the audience. Held together with a voiceover to rival Rorschach in Zack Snyder's Watchmen, Franklyn emerges as a sci-fi comic book combo.

 

Having shot most scenes for Meanwhile City in London itself, McMorrow really shows off London's most ornate architecture, which is rarely explored in cinema.

 

Each of the four central characters brings their own take on love, war and religion, tied together by the central theme of fate, and opening up many questions for the viewer - is this all a big coincidence, or is there a greater force at work guiding them?

 

Franklyn can be classified as neo noir meets fairy tale, due to its dark undertones and juxtaposition between the real world and Meanwhile City. It is also certain to spark debate, forcing the viewer to look inside themselves for answers.