Robot & Frank

Synopsis: Frank (Frank Langella) is a retiree who lives in a small house outside a small town somewhere in near-future America. When his long-suffering son (James Marsden) buys him a robot carer, Frank is furious. But then he discovers that the robot has no moral centre and sees an opportunity to reclaim his life. Frank, you see, was once a cat-burglar and really misses his job.

I found myself slightly conflicted when I sat down to write about Robot & Frank. It’s a wonderful film full of lovely characters, an expertly-told story woven with rich underlying themes and a deep compassion for ageing. But it’s also a film that wears its structure on its sleeve, and I’m not entirely sure what I think of that. What do you do with something that is so joyous to experience, but ever so gently rubs your nose in the mechanics of how it drew you in? I think, in this case, you see it as a solid defense of the story structure championed by mainstream Hollywood cinema. At least, that’s how I’ve talked myself past criticizing it’s obviousness in favour of embracing its warm humanity.

Frank Langella as the elderly Frank, struggling with Alzheimer’s and determined to prove himself still capable, is excellent. Cantankerous yet caring, he’s impossible not to love, but you can see why his kids struggle to. Susan Sarandon as the local librarian he has a crush on is also great, and their relationship is quite touching. But it’s Peter Sarsgaard’s off screen presence that manages to bring it all together as the voice of Frank’s robot assistant. Their relationship is the real meat of the film, and the way Frank “schools” his robot and begins to treat it like a second son is really sweet. Less successful are a number of the supporting characters, with the histrionics of Jeremy Strong as the hipster villain of the piece proving more annoying than entertaining. But it also makes it easier to root for Frank, even if he’s engaging in a series of burglaries. The way memory, both Frank’s and his robot’s, becomes a central plot point is cleverly worked in and the way that it’s played out is quite memorable.

Even with the quibbles around the supporting cast, I’d still call Robot & Frank a truly wonderful cinema experience. It’s an interesting and thoughtful story that draws you in. With strong performances and a really cool central idea, it’s a genuine crowd-pleaser that’ll leave you smiling.

 

 

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