'Frank': Michael Fassbender's Sundance Opener Is Freakish Yet Fabulous [Pictures]

After winning a prestigious award or starring in a blockbuster, many actors never look back to their humble, low-budget, indie film beginnings. Thankfully, Michael Fassbender is not one to be so chronically short-sighted and takes centre-stage in Lenny Abrahamson's marvellous, off-beat and quirky new movie, Frank.

Michael Fassbender Is Both Weird & Musical In 'Frank.'

Inspired by the life of masked musician and comedian Frank Sidebottom and the details written about him in screenwriter Jon Ronson's memoir, Frank is a fictional story that follows the journey of the world's most peculiar band from the rehearsal room to the big festival stage. Fassbender ('12 Years a Slave') is transformed into an enigmatic musician who insists on constantly wearing a giant, cartoon-like papier-maché head, even off-duty.

The Movie Is Inspired By The Life Of Musician & Comedian Frank Sidebottom.

Domhnall Gleeson is introduced as Jon, a young aspiring musician who is looking for a band to play with when he is hooked into Frank's avant-garde pop band, Soronprfbs, alongside the intimidating Clara, played Maggie Gyllenhaal. Thanks to Jon's social-media savvy work, the band land a gig at Texas' prestigious South by Southwest arts and music festival.

Shot in Dublin and New Mexico in 2013, the movie mixes western desert and Irish countryside as the audience are taken out of their comfort zones and on a whirlwind ride the music industry through a pair of papier-maché covered eyes. The Irish director follows up his award-winning films Adam & Paul, Garage and What Richard Did with this weird and wonderful comedy in which fellow Irish star Gleeson is sucked into a surreal music career.

The trailer introduces the premise of the movie, as well as its deadpan comedy style. In one particular scene, Frank is trying to better communicate himself by describing his facial expressions out loud, from "welcoming smile" to "flattered grin" and "bashful half-smile" before he is told off by the unimpressed Clara.

Watch The 'Frank' Trailer:

Though inspired by the enigmatic presence of cult musician and comedian Chris Sievey, Frank is influenced by ther outsider musicians like Daniel Johnston and Captain Beefheart, according to the film's website. Having premiered at Utah's 2014 Sundance Film Festival, Frank will be passed on to the London Sundance Film Festival where it will receive its UK premiere on the 25th April before nationwide release in May.

Michael Fassbender's slightly creepy costume may be the movie's main draw, but with a solid cast, funky tunes, funny and well-written script, and plenty of unique and quirky details, Frank is sure to not only charm London's audiences at the film festival but also fill cinema seats when it is released not long afterwards. Frank will be released on the 2nd May in the UK.