Girls of Geek Movie Review: The Frame

Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

There has come a point in all of our lives that we have discovered a story that we wish could come to life. We would give nothing more than to be part of that journey and see the amazing places the characters go and experience the wonder of what we feel from the story first hand.  

It's a dream that tends to fade as we grow older, but the reality of such wishes have far reaching implications. We are shielded thanks to those stories. We don't ever see the true effect of the dangers some characters face on their psyche and that's what makes entertainment so safe for all of us.  But what if that childhood dream came true? It's a question answered in the fascinating new film, The Frame. 

It's unfortunate how sometimes the world consumes good men and turns them bad.  Such is the case with Alex.  At his core he is a good man, but he makes a living pulling off one incredible heist after another.  He's excellent at what he does but wants nothing more than to be free.  In fact it seems Alex can never catch a break and his only solace is watching his favorite show Urban Hope. But when the star of that show begins to communicate with Alex, his world is turned upside down. For the character he knows as Sam, watches Alex on his own weekly program Thieves and Saints and time is running out for Alex, for the series finale is drawing near and Sam begins to believe that since she can speak to her television hero, that maybe just maybe...she can save his life from disappearing forever. 

So, before we get into a few more words about this film, let's talk about the fact that I am reviewing a film that is indeed coming to limited release first. If you are in Denver, the film opens on Friday the 17th and will play for a week before the motion picture heads on tour to Los Angeles, Portland, New York and Austin, Texas.  So why review it now? Because it needs to be talked about and if you aren't in those cities, you will get your chance to see it everywhere in about a month when it is released on home video.

Now I mentioned this movie needs to be reviewed because of one simple reason, it is really a fresh and original idea. The concept of the characters we enjoy on our favorite shows week in and week out, suffering and in many ways never being able to escape the realities of their harsh lives is absolutely fascinating. It is a plot twist that locks your attention in because well...now you have to know how the story ends.  

But the wonder of the story doesn't end there, Sam's character is equally as fascinating because well...we are forced to question her sanity.  Is she really talking with Alex or is she that lonely in her life that she has nothing more? That's when the film really takes off because now you as the viewer are left wondering what is real and not real.  Are we trapped in the mind of a person that cannot handle their only escape from a miserable reality is coming to an end? Or is this a break in the fabric of space and time and the stories we cherish really do live on?  It's an ending that I won't spoil because it is on par with the brilliant ambiguity of American Psycho. 


This is one I will be watching again first chance I get because I get the funny feeling there is more to the story to be found on multiple viewings. So if this movie is hitting your town soon, go see it.  Once it hits home video, go see it.  This is a wonderful motion picture that will leave you pondering long after the credits have come to their end.  

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