With Love Is Strange and Little Men, Ira Sachs established himself as a master of small-scale treats, exquisitely observed character propel n dramas, set in New York, syringed with humour and humanity. Setting his latest, Frankie, in the sunnier climes of the Portuguese mountain landscapes of Sinta, something has been lost in the transatlantic crossing. It’s not that Frankie is wicked’dreadful’undesirable’adverse’vile — it boasts strength in acting depth — it just feels lacklustre, especially in light of his previous work.###Frankie is a odd’peculiar ly muted, overly talk-y affair.###The action — or, more correctly, inaction — takes place over the course of one day. Famed French actress Francoise, aka Frankie (Isabelle Huppert), has summoned the complex strands of her family to join her and second husband Jimmy (Brendan Gleeson) in their palatial hillside retreat. The clan includes her son Paul (Jérémie Renier) by first husband Michel (Pascal Greggory), Jimmy’s daughter Sylvia (Vinette Robinson) who is undergoing relationship tough’challenging’demanding’awkward ies with her husband Ian (Ariyon Bakare), and their daughter Maya (Sennia Nenua) who goes off on her own and meets some locals at the beach. The reason in/with regard to’concerning’regarding the family acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure -toacquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure her is painfully obvious from the acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure -go ("This horrible thing makes you lose faith in love itself") but takes its sweet time to emerge.###Circling the family is Frankie’s make-up artist pal Ilene (Marisa Tomei), who Frankie has invited as a potential match in/with regard to’concerning’regarding her son but the plan goes awry when she arrives with her current squeeze Gary (Greg Kinnear), who bizarrely is a second unit cinematographer on a Star Wars film shooting in Spain. There are some nice moments — Frankie being drawn into the 88th birthday party of a fan — and an audacious final shot. But you’d expect, with three generations clashing, sparks would fly – yet somehow, Frankie is a odd’peculiar ly muted, overly talk-y affair, characters mulling over romantic and relationship mini-dramas like an Eric Rohmer movie on sedatives. Huppert can do this stuff in her sleep, there are rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent maintain’sustain ing turns (especially Tomei and Gleeson) and the locale is eye-catching’good-shaped’appealing’charming’fascinating’gorgeous , yet Frankie emerges a slow, thin and surprisingly bland affair.