Frownland (2007)
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83% of critics liked it
(18 reviews) -
63% of users liked it
(402 ratings)
Erstwhile New York City arthouse projectionist Ronald Bronstein makes his feature debut as a writer-director with Frownland. Dore Mann stars in the film as Keith, who clearly suffers from some type of serious social disorder. Keith has a great deal of trouble communicating. He stammers, he hems and… More Erstwhile New York City arthouse projectionist Ronald Bronstein makes his feature debut as a writer-director with Frownland. Dore Mann stars in the film as Keith, who clearly suffers from some type of serious social disorder. Keith has a great deal of trouble communicating. He stammers, he hems and haws, and eventually the words spew out of him in such an urgent torrent that he can't make himself understood. Keith shares a Brooklyn apartment with struggling musician Charles (Paul Grimstad, who composed the score for the film), and they have an antagonistic relationship. Keith pesters Charles about paying the electric bill. Charles, who clearly feels put upon by having to share the same space with Keith, responds with unbridled and pointed insult. Charles, we learn, has his own problems. Keith's source of income is unclear, but he does have a job going door-to-door in the suburbs to raise money for a vaguely shady charity. It's a job for which he's blatantly ill-suited. Keith's social life, such as it is, consists mainly of harassing a hapless bartender, Sandy (David Sandholm), who has somehow come onto his radar, and trying to calm the frequently distraught Laura (Mary Bronstein, the filmmaker's wife, here credited as Mary Wall). At one point, he attempts to use sock puppets to lift her spirits. "Are those my socks?" Laura unhappily responds. Ronald Bronstein self-distributed Frownland for its theatrical run. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Directed By
- Ronald Bronstein
- Written By
- Ronald Bronstein
- Genres
- Art House & International, Comedy
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Mar 9, 2007 Wide
- Studio
- Factory 25
Critic Reviews
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J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
We've all known people like this, usually as little as possible, which may explain why the movie has provoked such violent reactions at festival screenings: it brings us face-to-face with the limits of our compassion.
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Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Frownland is like a shriek for help. It centers on an extraordinary performance that plays like an unceasing panic attack. To call it uncompromising is to wish for a better word.
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Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
Nerve-rackingly funny, director Ronald Bronstein's microbudget indie features a protagonist for whom each attempt at communication turns into a rhapsody of strangulated verbiage.
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Tom Keogh, Seattle Times
It's impossible to watch this grotty, sometimes unbearably undisciplined yet genuinely tragic movie and not think about the first films directed by John Cassavetes and Paul Morrissey.
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Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly
Frownland, Ronald Bronstein's startling comedy, is like a mumblecore Eraserhead directed by John Cassavetes.
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Cast
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Dore Mann
as Keith
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Mary Wall
as Laura
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Paul Grimstad
as Charles
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David Sandholm
as Sandy
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Carmine Marino
as Carmine
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Paul Grant
as Exam Man
