Swiss screenwriter and director Petra Biondina Volpe makes her English-language debut with the sobering Sundance premiere “Frank & Louis.” The project, a thematic sibling of 2023’s American prison drama “Sing Sing,” explores elder care in the penal system. It’s a tough-skinned yet touching character study that suggests the possibility of rehabilitation through caretaking. A sentimental glimpse into incarcerated lifestyles that stitches hope into a tapestry of emotional storytelling that bounces between anger, guilt, depression and optimism.
Kingsley Ben-Adir stars as Frank, a convicted murderer serving a life sentence. With his parole bid approaching, Frank takes a job overseeing inmates who have Alzheimer’s and dementia. His prickliest challenge is Louis (Rob Morgan), a once-feared thug who’s now stricken by paranoia and confusion. The only way Frank will see the outside world again is if he can control his repressed anger issues and be connected with Louis, which becomes his ultimate test.
Volpe’s intention is not to absolve white supremacists or killers of their actions, but to highlight the healing powers of caregiving. Frank’s intentions when accepting his position are rooted in self-interest, trying to appear as squeaky-clean as possible for his hearing, but like any dramatic arc, the criminal finds self-reflection instead. Louis starts as a burden on Frank, but the more his condition worsens, the more Frank witnesses a fragile man who’s terrified and fading. The shame, indignity and embarrassment Louis expresses in moments of clarity force Frank to confront his own memories and wrongdoings, prompting him to reassess what it truly means to be reformed.
Ben-Adir’s performative talents have blessed titles from “One Night in Miami…” to “High Fidelity,” and his streak continues with Frank, a pensive inmate of few words. He plays Frank like he’s training to be a rule-abiding citizen, but there’s always turmoil bubbling underneath, ready to erupt. He’s proud of his decade-plus streak with no solitary sentences, but it’s almost like he’s trying to convince himself that the old drugged-out home invader is gone for good. It’s a well-cast role for Ben-Adir, who lets his stoic expressions do all his talking.
However, it’s Morgan who stuns. His dazed eyes — that puzzled look on his face — seamlessly replicate a state that I and many other individuals who’ve witnessed Alzheimer’s effects in real life immediately recognize. Morgan tragically wrestles with aspects of who the gangland bruiser Louis once was, and the petrified senior he’s become. His spurts of lucidity cut right to your heart, as Louis remembers the daughter he left behind for brief seconds, only to then ask for a bottle of hot sauce he used a minute prior. It’s such an understated brand of existential melancholy that Volpe lays bare, letting his actors mine their roles for every complexity, whether evident or buried.
A supporting cast of Frank’s co-workers resembles his found prison family. Of them, Rene Perez Joglar (aka Puerto Rican rapper Residente) stands out as the program’s wise veteran. As Frank endures Louis’ frequent attempts to push him away, Joglar’s experienced caretaker teaches the ways of patience and comfort. You watch Joglar aid a hateful bigot with a swastika tattoo, the same one who’d snap back to reality for a second, ready to commit a hate crime. And yet, Joglar’s attendee doesn’t fight back or explode. He later jokes that this oafish, burly racist was sent as karmic punishment for his wrongdoings. But that’s not what Volpe believes, as she uses these moments to show how human compassion is like chicken soup for the soul, and keeps Joglar’s hard-working guardian smiling.
That said, “Frank & Louis” is surprisingly flat despite noteworthy performances. The struggles are real, but there’s something too awards baity about the production. On paper, this should be a title that draws out a few tears and yet, my screening ended with nary a throat tickle. Volpe empowers her actors to overdeliver, but clunks the film along, rolling through dour motions that are expected from submissions in any festival’s dramatic competition category.
Does “Frank & Louis” veer into unexpected waters? No, but that’s not the point. Some films thrive on twists, while others compel based on meaty performances. Volpe’s picture is squarely the latter: an introspective analysis of the human condition. The stigma of prison uniforms fades as life collides with death in this somber anecdote about leaving this world with dignity, no matter your situation.
A game of chess, a walk around the yard, and a shared cup of ramen are all it takes to rejuvenate your soul. It’s a warm message in a ho-hum drama that lets Ben-Adir and Morgan shine.
