Robot & Frank

Set in the near future, an ex-jewel thief receives a gift from his son: a robot butler programmed to look after him. But soon the two companions try their luck as a heist team.

This is director Jake Schreier's first full-length feature and, on the basis of this, both he and writer Christopher Ford have very bright futures ahead of them indeed. Robot & Frank is an impressive piece of work, tackling some sensitive subjects and leaving an indelible mark on the memory. 

The two title characters are what really makes this film and there is much to appreciate in both the performances and the writing. Firstly, and initially the most noticeable, is the character of Robot. Voiced by Peter Sarsgaard, it's quite incredible how much of a screen presence it manages to have in the film. It was a sensible choice not to go with CGI and is thoroughly believable, particularly if you've ever seen anything of the robots that are in development today. The second is Frank Langella's turn as the titular Frank. His increasing bewilderment at the world around him as his memory fades is affectingly portrayed and drives the plot early on.

There are several main themes in the movie, the majority of which relate to the challenges that growing old can present. Frank's frequent bouts of memory loss as senility takes hold are responsible for some bizarre behaviour and the story of his life is gradually revealed through his actions. This difficulty in relating to both those close to him, and his environment, results in a disconnect from the world at large as he can no longer remember people and places. The saviour, as it turns out, is Robot.

I can't see that there's any kind of moral to this story in the sense that technology saves the day. It's much more to do with the nature of friendship and how much of a difference friends can make in times of crisis. There's also exploration of other areas, like family and, on a basic level, what it means to be human. On top of all of this, we also end up with a very original take on the heist movie.

I wouldn't exactly class this as a full-on comedy, but its quirky humour offers plenty to make you smile and it made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion. Frank is a very ornery fellow for a sizable portion of the film and his rudeness can be very amusing, much of which can be attributed to his distrust of the modern world and a desire to return to simpler times. The drama is also very successful and the balance struck between the two is noticeably precise.

The Verdict:

8/10
A beautiful film in so many ways that is both quirky and absorbing. An original take on the heist movie as well as doing a great job of exploring the subject matter. I can only urge you to see it.