SIFF: Frank & Lola: Saturday Film & Party

Description

Michael Shannon (Midnight Special) and Imogen Poots (Green Room) share a sizzling chemistry in this romantic noir thriller about a Las Vegas chef whose increasing possessiveness sends him on an irrational quest for revenge, uncovering surprising details about his lover’s past.

In this tense neo-noir turned psychosexual drama, down-and-out chef Frank (Michael Shannon “Boardwalk Empire,” Midnight Special) heads to Las Vegas with his girlfriend Lola (Imogen Poots, That Awkward Moment) to take a promising job opportunity. Lola is also taking advantage of the move and attempting to kick off a career as a fashion designer, although Frank is not exactly supportive. Suspicious that Lola’s new employer (Justin Long, Tusk, Drag Me to Hell) might have romantic feelings for her, and dealing with the surprise arrival of one of her ex-lovers from Paris, Frank’s discomfort morphs into a rabid jealousy that begins to take over his life. Director Matthew Ross’s first feature film is a character study that recalls the work of Polanski and De Palma, boasting a stylish and sophisticated look, and a quietly unnerving performance by Michael Shannon as a Las Vegas chef who can’t shake himself out of a spiral of distrust that he may have just imagined. Frank & Lola is a seductive and meticulously paced debut that dives deep into the themes of romantic suspicion and sexual obsession.

Director Biography: Mathew Ross is a New York City-based director, writer, and journalist. He makes his feature-film debut as a director and writer with Frank & Lola.