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.
- GoofsWhen Walker is on the roof of the apartment building and the suitcase strap breaks dumping its contents, the Statue of Liberty clearly tumbles over the overhang. In the next shot it is on the overhang on the other side.
- 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 creditsThe opening and closing credits scroll over the streets of Paris.
- 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
Nevertheless, Roman Polanski is terribly underrated as a master of suspence. In fact, looking back at Hitchcock's movies (which is unfair, since they've been made in a completely different era) I don't think he ever made movies written this well.
For some reason most of the time film making starts with putting the director together with some of the best or most popular actors of that period. But this one certainly doesn't.... It shows that Polanski wrote this himself, with his close friend and film-writing-partner, because he really knows what this story is about - he knows where to be funny, where to make it tense, where to make things kind of 'sensual'.
The weird thing is, that looking at all the things that happen in this movie, it's still so relatively shot, and doesn't feel at all too paced, or rushed. No, it rather feels like you are watching a 4 hour movie.
Anyway, those who have ever lost track of someone (for a short moment) in a strange, big city or those who have ever tried to find out something in France, will know and recognize exactly what Harrison Ford's character is going through - people not taking you seriously, people who don't care, people who refuse (or aren't able) to help you in your own language. All these things are put in this movie, so well, that -at least for me- it is really very realistic.
Most writers and directors nowadays seem to ruin most great movies/thrillers by not being able to make a good ending to the developing story. At one point our main character has got to find out what is happening....and how to do that, without taking away the suspence is incredibly difficult. Roman Polanski has done this very well, by not making this story too complicated and slowly unraveling a -looking back- simple mistery. There is no need to glue parts of the story together to make it all fit, or just skip parts to make it easier for him/you.
No, this is the first movie I've seen where when someone looses his shoes on a roof, he has to walk barefoot the next day. Most movies just ignore these little facts, but Roman makes it always difficult for himself in order to make it more easy (or, more easy to believe) for us.
There are no things that make me wonder 'how this is possible' - no, if you are a well known surgeon, many other surgeons from all over the world will know you. And if you will go to a convention in Paris, it's not at all unrealistic that you will run into a few of your friends...even when it's such a big city. Having problems with luggage when you're flying, isn't unrealistic too...nor is the story of this movie, the reason why what happened, happened.
Although I've never understood why our friend wanted his own wife back, instead of staying with the beautifull french girl ;) Again, that's what most people would do in real life....
Bart
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- Frantic
- 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