No matter the mixed criticism of Frank, one thing the film makes obvious is more bands should be using theremins. That’s not just a frivolous statement, it’s part of the movie’s sugarcoated message on the value of sticking out, embracing your limits, and not concerning oneself with the number of views one’s video gets on YouTube. Once the movie stops being a whimsical comedy about a troupe of misfit musicians, it starts to take itself a little too seriously and all of a sudden the xylophone stops and the brooding drama starts. This drastic tonal switch from quirky silliness to serious quirkiness ultimately drags Frank down from being a good comedy to being just a mediocre dramedy. But hey, it has Michael Fassbender playing a guy who wears a ridiculously oversized head so that alone will be enough for some viewers.

Dominic Gleeson takes on the role of Jon, an inspiring singer-songwriter who has 14 followers on Twitter and punches the clock in a dead-end office job. As fate would have it, he witnesses a man trying to drown himself who happens to be the keyboard player of an underground eccentric pop band Jon admires. When he tells the band’s manager Don (Scoot McNairy) that he too plays keyboards, he gets the gig, and without further ado finds himself traveling to a remote cabin to record an EP as the band’s new keyboard player. Headlining the band is the mysterious Frank (Fassbender) who is like a walking-talking bobble head because of the outlandish mask he refuses to take off (even while showering.) Rounding off the band members are Clara Vagner (Maggie Gyllenhaal) on the Theramin, Nana (Carla Azar) on the drums, and Baraque (François Civil) on the guitar. Once he gets to the cabin, Jon realizes that this is no mere band practice session, and decides to completely devote himself to the band; seeing it as an opportunity to better his own skills. As the Twitter followers grow, and the band spends months preparing to record, an upcoming gig at the South By Southwest festival in Austin creates an opportunity for their biggest show yet. But, with everyone’s eccentricities engaged at maximum levels, how will this band ever be able to cope with fame?

Before the third act sours up the mood, Frank is an enjoyable enough romp filled with a colorful cast of characters and a pleasant atmosphere. Although, it must be said, the insufferable score by Stephen Renicks and Gleeson’s narration evocative of an adventure in Middle Earth or a Hogwarts school excursion paint the picture in way too thick of a dainty coat. With the way the characters are written (we’ll have a French guy who only speaks in French but everyone understands him! We’ll have the bitchy one who hates conformity! Etc.) and the overemphasis on Frank’s free spirit, it all leads to an aggravating sense of self-awareness and attention seeking. The only saviors end up being Gyllenhaal’s hilarious performance (watch her deliver lines like “Your furthest corners? Someone needs to punch you in the face” with perfectly bottled angst), some of Frank’s unpredictable characteristics which include speaking perfect German to an unsuspecting family, and the genuine humor protruding through the dainty surface. And for those wondering about Fassbender’s performance: I’ll just say that he’s best when he’s got the head on and leave it that.

Also deserving of praise is James Mather’s cinematography, adding a nuance that is unexpected. Images of Frank meditating in the forest, or characters caught lamenting by the windowsill are artistically captured and do well to boost the film’s qualities. Alas, the film starts to change clothes before growing into them and while the SXSW section provides some of the biggest laughs (Frank’s most likeable song is a personal favorite of mine,) they ultimately can’t compensate for the transparently calculated conclusion and message, which brings the whole self-awareness aspect right back on centre stage. Fans of Gyllenhaal and Fassbender will still enjoy themselves with Frank, but my advice is not to take the film as seriously as it takes itself and simply enjoy sharing the company of weirdos.

In theaters August 15

Saturday at the Los Angeles Film Festival has been full of laughers, but the quirkiest among them is likely Lenny Abrahamson’s Frank. The film first premiered at Sundance in January and will get a limited release in August. Following musician wannabe Jon (Domhnall Gleeson) as he randomly connects with a bizarre pop group called Soronprfbs (don’t worry, no one in the film knows how to pronounce it either) playing one random show with them before they quickly adopt him to be their keyboardist and whisk him away to a remote cabin in Ireland to record their album. Led by the eponymous Frank (Michael Fassbender), who at all times wears a large cartoonish head in the style of Frank Sidebottom (writer Jon Ronson played in Frank Sidebottom creator Chris Sievey’s band and based the script on some of his experiences), Jon is thrown into the oddest of circumstances.

He observes the off-beat musical styles of his bandmates. Clara (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and her electronic frequency manipulator, Nana (Carla Azar) the drummer, Baraque (Francois Civil) the guitarist, and the most mental of them all, the band’s manager Don (Scott McNairy). Frank’s unusual music methods put the band members in awkward and hilarious situations as they wait for inspiration to strike before they begin recording their album. A door opening and closing is music to Frank’s ears, drills up and down the lawn inspire musical expression, hours and hours of non-stop playing for Frank’s high standard of perfection. Jon documents their endeavors with YouTube videos and Twitter updates, to the point where without having much to show for themselves, the band has a small cult following. The band finally records their album and though Jon’s blown through his inheritance to fund the band, he feels on the verge of a personal musical breakthrough. When the band is asked to take part in the SXSW music festival, Jon argues against the fiercely protective Clara to get Frank and his band to enter the mainstream world and play in America. Inspired at the thought of others loving their music, Frank agrees and they set out for Texas. However, when Jon encourages last-minute changes to their music to appeal more to the masses, his egotism costs them greatly as Frank becomes derailed from being true to himself.

The film is charming and at parts laugh out loud funny. Despite having any sort of face to work with, Fassbender creates a likeable if disturbed portrayal of Frank. Maggie Gylenhaal is guaranteed to shine when allowed some venom in her characters and she can be truly frightening with her mania. The film’s juxtaposition of pop culture and indie culture and the fine line between them makes for humorous irony. Audiences will laugh at the ridiculousness, but may not be moved in the end when it attempts to infuse a little humanity into the absurdity. While it ends poignantly, the film loses its steam by insulating Frank’s world and marking it unapproachable to outsiders. The song he sings at the end, mostly repeating his love for all, feels somewhat false, as catchy as it is. And considering the gravity Abrahamson choice to infuse in the end, the friendships Frank has seemed based on all around denial.

Whether audiences are able to live in that same land of denial is entirely subjective, but anyone wanting to laugh at the creative process at its quirkiest will enjoy Frank immensely. At its essence the film does show creating for oneself before others is a truer path to happiness, and with great performances all around, that theme is doubly felt.