Intimate, poetic, touching

I have to admit that my boyfriend’s film taste is outstanding. No matter what he borrows from the video shop, it’s always a good choice. This time he picked out a British film “Dear Frankie”, a beautiful tale of mother’s and child’s love taking place in magical surroundings of the Scottish coast.

Frankie, a nine year old death-mute boy, his mother Lizzy and grandmother are changing addresses every few months in order to escape Lizzy’s husband. The boy doesn’t know this and so he believes that his father works on a ship and is on the sea the whole year round. That’s why he has never seen him. To keep in touch with his father Frankie writes to him frequently. In reply his father sends him letters with descriptions of his adventures. However, this is Frankie’s mother who writes those letters in order to bring some joy in the boy’s life and to maintain a positive picture of the father’s figure in his life. The problem occurs when the ship “Accra” which Frankie’s father apparently sails with is supposed to arrive to their town. Lizzy suddenly has to find somebody who would imitate her son’s father for a day. She wants to protect him in this way. Finally she makes a deal with a Stranger who is gradually getting closer to Frankie and herself. After all he doesn’t accept any money for his favour.

Why do I like this film? It’s a modest, but a charming story. My personal best is Jack McElhone in Frankie’s role giving a very touching performance as a very sensitive, loving and talented child. We often see in the film how he struggles with his handicap trying to express his feelings through his drawings and written words. Furthermore, there’s his loving mother who is trying to do everything to protect him from an inconvenient truth about his father. “Dear Frankie” is a simple story of love and devotion that keeps your breath away till the very last moment. And this unbelievable Scottish accent!