Frank and Penelope (2022)

**_Beauty and the Beast in West Texas_** A heartbroken man in Austin (Billy Budinich) meets a winsome exotic dancer (Caylee Cowan) and they head toward West Texas, but unfortunately end up in the wrong town, ran by a charismatic, but twisted sage (Johnathon Schaech). Kevin Dillon is on hand as the Sheriff. “Frank and Penelope” (2022) is a quirky romantic road movie within the context of a crime drama/thriller written & directed by Sean Patrick Flanery, who’s perhaps best known as the star of “Powder” (1995). His style is reminiscent of Tarantino and a maybe Rob Zombie, but with some artsy flair akin to, say, Darren Aronofsky. Flicks like “Psycho III” (1986), "True Romance" (1993), “Chasers” (1994), "Love and a .45" (1994), "Kalifornia" (1993) and a little "The Hot Spot" (1990) come to mind, along with a bit o’ “Ravenous” (1999). Schaech as Chisos is even reminiscent of Neal McDonough in “Ravenous.” As far as I’m concerned, “Frank and Penelope” is the best of all of ’em (it’s at least on par with the top ones). To be expected with such a list, there’s an amount of sleaze, violence, ugliness and twistedness that you’ll have to roll with, but there are also glimpses of beauty and light. For instance, lust and love are contrasted. Speaking of beauty, Caylee is a revelation in the tradition of Marilyn Monroe. And the desolate West Texas locations are scenic while the bright palette is a highlight. I’m so glad that fad of a muted colors from a dozen years ago is (hopefully) over. I should add that lovely Sydney Scotia is also featured in the fairly prominent role of Molly. The film runs 1 hour, 52 minutes, and was shot in Austin and Terlingua, Texas, the latter of which is in the Big Bend area. GRADE: A-