Almost from the start, this film does its best to alienate its audience with its muddled
narrative, luke-warm humour and visual and musical excesses. With such a strong
cast of French, American and British actors this could well have been an excellent variation
on the Dr Faust theme, and there are the occasion hints of the far better film this could
have been. Unfortunately, what talent there is is cruelly squandered in an ill-conceived
and unbelievable plot, marred by unutterably bad dialogue and a surfeit of artistic pretensions
which, after twenty or so minutes, becomes exceedingly tiresome. The film's only
saving grace is Jeff Goldblum's chillingly subdued performance as the film's lead character,
Mr Frost - ironically one of cinema's most convincing depictions of the Devil.
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Film Synopsis
A serial killer, known only as Mr Frost, is arrested and, after two years of silence,
ends up in a clinic for the mentally disturbed. When he finally speaks it is to
the young Dr Sarah Day, who takes an immediate interest in his case. The man who
arrested Frost, Felix Detweiler, warns Dr Day that her patient is the Devil himself.
After a series of inexplicable incidents, Dr Day begins to believe that Detweiler is right...
Script: Brad Lynch,
Philippe Setbon,
Derry Hall,
Louise Vincent
Cinematographer: Dominique Brenguier
Music: Steve Levine
Cast: Jeff Goldblum (Mr. Frost),
Alan Bates (Felix Detweiler),
Kathy Baker (Dr. Sarah Day),
Jean-Pierre Cassel (Inspector Corelli),
Daniel Gélin (Simon Scolari),
François Négret (Christopher Kovac),
Maxime Leroux (Frank Larcher),
Vincent Schiavelli (Angelo, desk clerk),
Roland Giraud (Raymond Reynhardt),
Catherine Allégret (Dr. Corbin),
Mike Marshall (Patrick Hollander),
Henri Serre (André Kovac),
Charley Boorman (Thief),
Boris Bergman (Victor Sabowsky),
Philippe Polet (Roland Day),
Hervé Laudière (Joseph),
Aïna Walle (Carole),
Patrice Melennec (Phil),
Jo Sheridan (Jogger),
Raymond Aquilon (Elias)
Country: France / UK
Language: English
Support: Color
Runtime: 104 min
Aka:Mr. Frost
The best of American film noir
In the 1940s, the shadowy, skewed visual style of 1920s German expressionism was taken up by directors of American thrillers and psychological dramas, creating that distinctive film noir look.
In the 1910s, French cinema led the way with a new industry which actively encouraged innovation. From the serials of Louis Feuillade to the first auteur pieces of Abel Gance, this decade is rich in cinematic marvels.