In a hotel room in Paris, a doctor comes out of the shower and finds that his wife has disappeared. He soon finds himself caught up in a world of intrigue, espionage, gangsters, drugs and mu... Read allIn a hotel room in Paris, a doctor comes out of the shower and finds that his wife has disappeared. He soon finds himself caught up in a world of intrigue, espionage, gangsters, drugs and murder.In a hotel room in Paris, a doctor comes out of the shower and finds that his wife has disappeared. He soon finds himself caught up in a world of intrigue, espionage, gangsters, drugs and murder.
- Awards
- 2 nominations
The Life and Times of Harrison Ford
The Life and Times of Harrison Ford
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaHarrison Ford thought that "Frantic" was a misleading title for the film as the script didn't have a frantic pace. He suggested that "Moderately Disturbed" would be a more appropriate title. Roman Polanski wasn't amused.
- GoofsSondra's date of birth on the form at the US Embassy (14 April 1942) does not match what is shown on the closeup of her passport (3 July 47). The passport is Betty Buckley's actual birthday.
- Quotes
Michelle: What kind of music do you like?
Richard Walker: What? Oldies, I like oldies.
Michelle: Oldies? Yeah, me too. You like this?
["I've Seen This Face Before" by Grace Jones is playing on the radio]
Richard Walker: This? This is not old.
Michelle: Well, three, four years.
- Crazy creditsOpening credits roll up.
- Alternate versionsThe film was cut by 5 minutes by the Film Censors of Singapore to remove drugs, a few shots of sex and intimacy, and some violence for a 'PG' certificate for cinema. The film had no VHS release, but had a DVD release. It was later re-rated with a 'NC-16' (16+) certificate in its uncut version for consumer advice: Drug References.
- SoundtracksI've Seen That Face Before
(Libertango)
Music by Astor Piazzolla
English lyrics by Grace Jones, Nathalie Delon, Barry Reynolds and Dennis Wilkey
Performed by Grace Jones
(from the album "Island Life")
Courtesy of Island Records
I have seen this film several times and I think the fact that it isn't a spectacularly gimmicky film is a big part of the reason why it doesn't really stick in my mind over the years. For this reason I watched it again yesterday as I'd forgotten most of the plot and felt it would be like seeing it all over again for the first time. The film takes the simple plot and uses the 'object' as a McGuffin of sorts of quite a big chunk of the film we don't need to know why his wife has been kidnapped, only that Richard is desperate to get her back and is sucked into a situation he knows nothing of. In this regard the film really works well and manages to keep the pace up even if some of the characters are difficult to fit into the narrative. As a story it lacks fireworks and has a rather understated feel but it still works really well and I enjoyed the simplicity of the story combined with the ease with which it involved me.
The cast are good but it is Ford's film and he leads it really well. He convinces as the man becoming increasingly 'frantic' and he manages to involve humour as his character becomes savvier about what is happening and also appears to be seedier and less professional as a result! Seigner is good even if her character is easier to play; she is a fun character and her performance is good. Outside of these two, few are memorable and it is to their credit (mostly Ford's) that the film is still strong regardless. Other familiar faces include Pinon, Weeks and Huddleston.
Overall this is a solid little thriller that is rather old fashioned in it's telling. It relies on good set pieces within a good mystery plot rather than explosions or car chases and is much more satisfying as a result. Small bits of it don't totally come together but the overall effect is one of a simple film that is delivered with style and is enjoyable to watch.
- bob the moo
- May 15, 2004
- How long is Frantic?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- Điên cuồng
- Filming locations
- 48 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin, Paris 10, Paris, France(exteriors: gym club)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $20,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $17,637,950
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $4,359,424
- Feb 28, 1988
- Gross worldwide
- $17,637,950
- Runtime2 hours
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1