Variety
Oct. 26, 2004
Not just another
political biopic, Let’s Get Frank is a fascinating
portrait of an era, as well as of a unique public servant. Barney Frank, the
first openly gay member of Congress, had the
chutzpah to invite picmaker Bart Everly to follow him during and after the
impeachment of Bill Clinton, and the results are a time-capsule gem that says
plenty about where we’ve been,
and where we might be going. Pic explains much of how democracy does and doesn’t
work, and should be mandatory viewing on U.S. stations but probably won’t
show up on Sinclair outlets
anytime soon.
The Massachusetts congressman, embroiled in a sex scandal 10 years earlier,
became a point man for the Democrats side of the witch hunt. Intercutting
Frank’s story with highlights of the House Judiciary hearings, the film
shows how a sharp tongue and common sense can puncture even the most venal
political machine.
Perversely, antagonists like committee leader Henry Hyde and toady Bob Barr,
who are frequently disarmed by Frank’s humor, look almost statesmenlike
compared with the creatures
of power emboldened by Clinton’s near-demise. Frank narrates, adding
to the sense of irreverence.