I'll Be Frank

A short comedy drama from Northern Ireland written and directed by Carleton Rodgers and starring Jake Doyle, Helena Bereen and Bernadette Brown.

Teenager Danny (Doyle) lives in Northern Ireland and is a massive fan of American singer and actor Frank Sinatra, having decorated his bedroom with photographs and newpaper articles about the celebrity and listening to and singing his hits. However, he keeps his admiration a secret from others, especially his friends. Then, the boiler in his home needs to be replaced and his family cannot afford a new one. When his grandmother (Bereen) informs him that his school is organising a talent show that offers prize money to the winner, a reluctant Danny must decide whether he can overcome his personal issues and perform and win so that they can buy a new boiler.

A feel-good story with a likeable protagonist and supporting characters. Since the plot involves Sinatra, it should come as no surprise that the soundtrack includes some of the singer's hits such as It All Depends on You, It Had to Be You and Someone to Watch Over Me, making the audible experience quite pleasant and even more pleasant thanks to the contributions from composer James Everett and The Belfast Jazz Swing Orchestra. As good as the audio is, the screenplay is also to be commended as it is intriguing and inspiring, focusing on a youth who has a big passion, yet is does not seem to have the courage to share it with the world because he thinks low of himself. The overall atmopshere is uplifting, with humour, heart-warming moments and plenty of singing.

Although the film has a good script, perhaps the characters of Danny' mother (Brown) and Hannah (Bailie), Danny's love interest, could had been explored in more depth with the intention of adding more quality to these two characters.

Doyle delivers a sympathetic performance as Danny, a nice, well-meaning guy who adores Sinatra and sadly lacks the self-esteem to reveal it to others as he is worried about what other people will think of him. Bereen stands out as Danny's grandmother, an optimistic and cheerful elderly woman who also likes Sinatra. She believes in her grandson and encourages him to share his passion with the world. Unfortunately, his mother thinks otherwise. The group of boys that serve as Danny's friends are different than him, as they are loud and a bit unruly and are led by Ciaran (Devlin), who is wild but a good guy.

Through Danny's character the film explores low self-esteem, having an idol and a passion. His grandmother represents the significance of support and the idea that one should not be afraid to be who they really are and that by doing so, good things happen. Furthermore, the story explores financial difficulties, that money does not matter and that great joy is to be found when a person reveals their passion. And of course, the happiness that can be found in singing is present and the film pays homage to Frank Sinatra.

What is there to gain by viewing this short? Experiencing an uplifting and moving story about sharing one's passion with others. Fans of Sinatra will most likely enjoy it and so will people who appreciate a story about being oneself and pursuing what makes them happy.