Frank, a retired cat burglar, has two grown children, who are concerned he can no longer live alone. Against the old man's wishes, his son buys Frank a walking, talking humanoid robot programmed to improve his physical and mental health.
Never judge a film by its synopsis. That's the lesson of Robot and Frank, a film with a premise that sounds odd on paper, but which takes advantage of an excellent central performance by Frank Langella to become a surprisingly affecting and heartfelt story about ageing, family, and friendship.
Langella plays the titular Frank Weld, an ageing ex-cat-burglar who lives alone and is suffering from the gradual onset of mild dementia. To help keep Frank's mind and body fresh, his son (James Marsden) buys him a helper-robot that will encourage him to eat better, exercise more, and develop a regular daily routine to keep him as fit and healthy as possible. But when an initially reluctant Frank realises that the robot hasn't been programmed to distinguish between moral and immoral acts - and is in fact quite happy to help him plan a series of heists under the auspices of mental stimulation - their relationship moves into a very different place indeed.
You see what I mean? That sounds like quite an odd and offbeat premise for a movie, and not necessarily one that would provide a story that you could really get your teeth into. But Langella's nuanced, sympathetic performance - together with some interesting family-based subplots - really help to elevate the film into something more thoughtful and compelling.
Bolstered by a solid supporting cast - as well as Marsden, Liv Tyler crops up as Frank's hippy, flaky, pro-robot-rights daughter, while Susan Sarandon also makes an appearance as a potential love interest for Frank - the film explores some delicate subjects involving ageing, care for the elderly and our relationship with technology, while also making time for some amusing vignettes that pepper the thoughtfulness with some moments of outright humour.
Also, Peter Sarsgaard, who voices the robot, is careful never to let his dry monotone tip over into an obvious riff on sinister robotic voices like 2001's HAL. Instead, he comes across as more peaceful and neutral - which makes his naive complicity in Frank's crimes all the more amusing.
Finally, I have to compliment first-time director Jake Schreier on getting some of the subtler details of his story just right. The near-future setting is made just different enough from the real world to be noticeable, but still feels very much rooted in reality, with innovations like Frank's holographic video-screen drawing attention to the advanced technology but making it feel very plausible and natural. And even when the film incorporates these forward-looking aspects explicitly as plot points - such as the gradual dismembering of the library where Sarandon's character works, as the books are replaced by their digital equivalents - it does so in a way that feels more relevant to the present-day than it is fantastical and futuristic.
By the time the movie reaches its emotional (but not syrupy or saccharine) ending, you'll probably be surprised to have found yourself won over by such an unassuming little film. However, between the natural charm and amusement that comes from Langella's interactions with his robot companion, and the surprisingly thoughtful and heartfelt nature of the plot, there's an awful lot to like here.
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Please note this is a region B Blu-ray and will require a region B or region free Blu-ray player in order to play Set in the near future Frank a retired cat burglar has two grown children who are concerned he can no longer live alone Against the old man&39;s wishes his son buys Frank a walking talking humanoid robot programmed to improve his physical and mental health Slowly and with a fair bit of reluctance Frank begins to accept his new digital companion seeing an opportunity to use Robot&39;s unique skills to try their luck as a heist team Actors Frank Langella James Marsden Liv Tyler & Susan Sarandon Director Jake Schreier Certificate 12 years and over Year 2012 Screen 1781 Languages English Subtitles English for the hearing impaired Closed Captions Yes Duration 1 hour and 25 minutes (approx)
Jake Schreier directs this comedy starring Frank Langella as a retired jewel thief who discovers that his cutting-edge home assistance robot may be the key to pulling off one last heist. Frank (Langella) appears to have little in his life. Apart from the odd visit to the library and his flirtations with Jennifer (Susan Sarandon), he struggles to fill the hours and appears, to his son Hunter (James Marsden), to be sorely lacking in purpose. When Frank's forgetfulness begins to threaten his independence, rather than take the burden on himself, Hunter acquires a robot to act as caretaker to his dad. Though Frank initially resents the presence of Robot (voiced by Peter Sarsgaard) and his stern insistence upon a daily routine of exercise and activity, he begins to feel the benefits and is soon even contemplating a return to his 'professional' life...
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