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Frantic with Ford and Polanski
The unappreciated film screens tonight at BAM
Frantic, released in 1988, came at an interesting time in the careers of both its director, Roman Polanski, and its star, Harrison Ford. With the exception of What?, Polanski hadn’t made a bad film in many years, and the action/thriller Frantic would continue his truly impressive streak. After that, though, he wouldn’t have a creative success until 2002′s The Pianist. The films that came in between—Bitter Moon, Death and the Maiden and The Ninth Gate—are only worth seeing if you’re a Polanski completest.
Ford, on the other hand, was done as Han Solo and nearly finished with Indiana Jones, too (well, until the recent abomination). He received both commercial and critical love for his role in 1985′s Witness, but after Frantic, there would be a drastic decline in his work. Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger aren’t as good as you remember them being, and with the exception of 1993′s The Fugitive, Ford would make a lot of crap until 2000′s What Lies Beneath.
Polanski and Ford, both sensing the end of their best days, came together in Paris and made Frantic, one of the most unappreciated films in both their careers. Show it the respect it deserves tonight at BAM, screening at 4:30 p.m., 6:50 p.m. and 9:15 p.m.
More information can be found here.