Robot & Frank
Tags: humor, satire

Plot synopsis:
Set in the near future, an aging ex-convict and thief named Frank Weld (Frank Langella) lives alone and is experiencing increasingly serious mental deterioration and dementia. Frank's son Hunter (James Marsden), an attorney with a family of his own, grows tired of making weekly visits to his father's home, but is reluctant to put his father into full-time care, so he purchases a robot companion (voiced by Peter Sarsgaard), which is programmed to provide Frank with therapeutic care, including a fixed daily routine and cognitive enhancing activities like gardening.
Initially wary of the robot's presence in his life, Frank warms up to his new companion when he realizes the robot is not programmed to distinguish between legal recreational activities and criminal ones, and can assist him in lock-picking. Together, the two commit a heist in order to win the affection of the local librarian, Jennifer (Susan Sarandon): they steal an antique copy of Don Quixote from the library, which is being renovated and turned into a community center in the wake of declining interest in print media.
In the meantime, Frank's daughter Madison (Liv Tyler), who is away on a philanthropic trip in Turkmenistan, learns of the robot and returns to convince her father to get rid of the machine, which she finds ethically objectionable. Frank insists on keeping the robot, and they commit one last heist, stealing jewels from Jake (Jeremy Strong), the rich young developer at the head of the library renovation project. The police become involved and begin to question and monitor Frank, who maintains his innocence, feigning deathly illness so that Hunter will return to see him. In order to cover his tracks, Frank is faced with the decision of whether to wipe the memory of his robot, even as his own memory rapidly deteriorates.
Frank goes to the library where he discovers that Jennifer is his ex-wife, which he had forgotten. He then returns home where the robot convinces him to wipe its holographic memory- it argues that it is not a person and its sole reason for existence is to help Frank, which it can best do by helping him avoid jail. Frank is then sent to a "Brain Center", where he receives help in coping with his dementia. The police do not recover the jewels that, as Frank implies in a note to Hunter, are hidden under the tomato plants in the garden that the robot made.

Review: In the last few years I have been devastated by films such as Away From Her and Barney's Version, and while Robot and Frank is certainly comparable, it's a lighter, less harrowing take on a tragic side of aging, and ultimately results in a much more enjoyable experience.Frank Langella plays Frank, a divorced senior living a life of solitude in rural New York.
Between visits and video calls from his children (James Marsden and Liv Tyler) concerned about his seemingly deteriorating mental state, Frank fills his time with visits to the local library to flirt with librarian Jennifer (Susan Sarandon), and by shoplifting decorative soaps from the store occupying the former site of his favourite restaurant.
He is a man of the past, and his little moments of defiance in the face of change establish his character early, so when Hunter (Marsden) arrives with a new robot caregiver, Frank is understandably offended.As much as Frank's memory regarding the day to day seems to be fading, his former 'profession' as a cat burglar remains at the front of his mind, and the robot's insistence on finding a project to keep him mentally engaged opens a window of opportunity for Frank to focus his mind and retreat back to the glory days of his youth.
There's no substitute for the complex intelligence of our brains, and even the most sophisticated technology has more to learn from us.Robot and Frank feels like a film aimed at an older generation, but there is so much to enjoy for anyone who might be occasionally frustrated by our cynical modern world.
Well, I was mistaken on all counts!Frank Langella played beautifully his role of an amnesic old man helped by a caretaker robot to plan and execute heists.
Finally I can say that I saw a movie with a fantastic script and am naturally puzzled how this kind of film gets a limited release.Bottom line: a comedic drama which explores the depth of soul, while taking us through a story that is both original and very well written and executed.
A funny & touching film that is very effective at getting the audience to identify and empathize with Frank Langella's aging character, a former cat burglar who is gradually growing senile.
Frank's son buys him a robot caretaker --a health-nut disciplinarian with a soft spot in its hardware heart -- and Frank eventually persuades the robot to be his partner-in-crime in some late-life capers he has planned.The film is cleverly and ambiguously set in the "near future," so the 30- & 40-somethings of today could easily be the Franks of tomorrow: still using the slang of the 2000s & 2010s, not scared of the latest technology but still somewhat befuddled by it, and rather aghast when young people ask us about our quaint "relationship with printed media.".
His son, Hunter (James Marsden), is tired of commuting ten hours round-trip on a weekly basis to care for his father, so to assure his safety and health, he buys him a slick domestic robot (voiced by Peter Sarsgaard), which is programmed to help the elderly in their daily activities.
The librarian, Jennifer (Susan Sarandon), who Frank begins to develop a small little crush on, is dismayed, but coping with the loss of print books in the world, so Frank believes that his effort to save one of the rarest books of all time will make her a bit happier.A subplot involves Frank's daughter Madison (Liv Tyler), who works on-location in Turkmenistan, coming to visit him shortly after Hunter gives him the robot, to show that human-care is the best care of all and that robots can not provide a human with the same kind of love a human can.
Life as we know it may not be as simple as it once was - one of the downsides to technological advances.Many of the film's ideas and actions, such as humanizing a burglar, constructing a believable world where robots have become dependable caregivers, and injecting a very small love story, all work with the gentle direction of Jake Schreier and the thoughtful, sympathetic writing by Christopher D.
As it ended, I kind of wanted to see it again, which is a high compliment to pay to a movie.Starring: Frank Langella, James Marsden, Liv Tyler, Susan Sarandon, and Peter Sarsgaard.
I could find no error in the story and that is unbelievable when I remember those top latest movies that I have watched in recent days of which they had at least a few.What impresses me at most is that we can trace those warm family ties which we used to have once and now deteriorating.The movie is easily watched; can assume the camera is well used and Frank Langella is acting marvelously.I wonder if the reason I liked the movie too much is that I am 63 years old.One more comment: It shows that you can make also make a good movie without a big budget and too many walking man..
Robot and Frank - This, the debut feature (lots of creative debuts in this post) from director Jake Schreier is sure to land the young film maker a slot on The Froggy's (or Best of 2012 series...coming soon) list of first time directors this year.
The latest film Robot and Frank starring Frank Langella, James Marsden, Liv Tyler, Susan Sarandon, and Peter Sarsgard blending drama with a touch of Sci-fi, but does this film work or is this great cast wasted on a failed experiment?
In fact he kind of reminded me of the one Kevin Spacey voiced in the Sam Rockwell movie "Moon" In fact this whole movie itself--from its low key tone, to its homey set design, to its somewhat enigmatic ending reminded of that 2009 film.Frank Langella does a great job here--he really grounds the film in reality--which is a great thing because the longer the film goes on, the more incredible and outlandish it becomes---there are some reveals that happen way too quickly throughout and aren't seemingly set up so well but thanks to the amazing chemistry that Langella and the robot develop with one another (thanks to excellent voice work by Peter Sarsgaard)--you kind of shrug your shoulders and go with it...or at least i did.
"dad i haven't been to Princeton in years." uh-oh) His son (played with a nice mixture of intense worry, frustration, and some good deadpan humor by James Marsden) having had enough of having to drive out to check up on his father over and over again gets him a live in robot health care professional/servant!
(why its all the rage among the elderly and infirm these days!) Langella is predictably agitated by this (who wouldn't be?) but in some rather quick and amusing scenes manages to be won over by the robot---it helps that the robot helper has some awesome advantages hidden up its sleeve--such as a very tasty lasagna recipe, a memory that can be screened on a TV screen, and a nice ability to zing frank back for starters.The film then makes a very quick--almost whip-lash inducing reveal that Frank was in fact a jewel thief/cat burglar as a young man.
(goodbye book jackets and musty pages, hello sleek shiny neon colored plastic) Its the library's most valuable book (an old hardbound copy of Don Quixote) and his want to impress the librarian that finally kicks the plot into gear---Frank's gonna return to his cat burglarizing ways with the help of his trusty robot sidekick.
However the film also has some almost too neat coincidences, a much too enigmatic ending that wants the viewer to decide for him/her self what it all means, and a not particularly interesting go nowhere subplot involving Liv Tyler as Frank's robot helper hating daughter (she wants to liberate the robot servers and stop making them slaves--etc, etc.
she mostly exists i think to humanize frank, and make him someone who actually means a lot to someone flesh and blood so that his growing relationship to robot will be more believable--but liv tyler has so little to do in this movie, i kept wondering why she was there to begin with--i'm still wondering quite honestly...her character doesn't quite make a lot of sense but whatever) Film is very amusing, and i feel very much worth watching on the whole despite its somewhat maddening flaws--however if you're paying close attention to what's actually on screen--i think the film will either grow on you as you think about it after-wards, or will frustrate you madly--i thought it was pretty clever--but then again i also thought the robot was cute..
Jake Schreier) Frank is an elderly man living alone who is experiencing symptoms of dementia, and his son buys him a robot that is especially programmed to deal with problems of the aged.
A great cast featuring, Frank Langella and Susan Sarandon, and also the clever interaction between Frank and the robot (voice over by Peter Sarsgaard) make this film very much 'worth a look'..
This film is about an old man with dementia who forms an unlikely attachment to his robot caretaker."Robot And Frank" has a really good plot.
His son decides to ease his burden taking care of dad by getting a robot--a humanoid kind of machine that talks and thinks in a smart, rudimentary way (a little like a white C3PO).
However, the first half or so is more interesting, then the pace declines, leading to an ordinary ending (with twists in between, though).Of course, the cast in even and strong as well, beginning with Frank Langella (well, it is no Frost/Nixon, but still - he gives maximum performance the movie allows) and Susan Sarandon (always skillful, she is one of my favorite actresses).
Shot in like 20 days the movie was done on a 2.5 million budget and the robot suit was worn by an actor.The movie plot is about a cat burglar named Frank (Frank Langella) who has become old and out of the game, he does once in a while do some petty shoplifting but his age and his dementia (memory loss) was not helping at all, so for that reason his son Hunter (James Marsden) drives to see him once every week.Hunter is finding it difficult to cope with the long drive to see his father and his sister Madison (Liv Tyler) is always away on trips, so he gets Frank a robot which has been pre-programmed with all of Frank's details to help out in taking good care of Frank.
The robot first started out as an enemy of a better stress free life for Frank (although his life style was leading him to an earlier grave and was not making his memory loss better), but soon the robot became Frank's best friend and Frank thought it all he knew and together they became a close pair, till some theft started to happen in the area.The movie does posses some twist as said before, twists that you will not expect, but they are carefully placed in between the plots.
Also James Marsden (who plays Frank's protective and caring son Hunter) did well in his role as a supporting actor.Robot and Frank is very well out on DVD and I do advise all to take the time to see this drama of how an old man befriends a robot.www.lagsreviews.com.
Frank (Frank Langella, utterly luminous in this role) is a retired, independent but brain aging (read encroaching dementia) thief/catburglar living alone in a cluttered little house while his successful son, Hunter (James Marsden), tries to care for him from afar (it is a 10 hour journey for Hunter to look in on his father every week).
Suffice it to say this is a film about the variations of family and how plausibly aging and caregiving may be changed in the next few years, with the influx of technology and the possibilities for in-home care with robots.The cast is strong (including a minor role by Jeremy Sisto), but the performances by Frank Langella and Susan Sarandon are especially rare and transcendent.
Set in the near future, an ex-jewel thief (Frank Langella) receives a gift from his son (James Marsden): a robot butler programmed to look after him.
There are no devious sub plots or twists and turns to get in the way of the amazing characters in this film.The director has stuck firmly to telling the story of an old retired conn whose infirmity forces his son to employ a robot helper.
There are some strong themes running through the film but they are all directly linked to the characters.The cast does a superb job but special mention is due for Frank Langella who pulls off grumpy and likable with ease, and of course for the Robot.
I have to confess that I have a soft spot for all things "robot" and do some volunteering work in the older community, so I may be biased with my review!"Robot and Frank" is first and foremost buddy movie, a comedy and character drama with science fiction taking a definite back seat; although it has enough believable and understated sci-fi touches to convince me that this is the near future and our friend, the robot, could feasibly exist."Robot and Frank" deals with the complex subject of dementia and its impact on families with a light touch that belies its emotional depth.
This story, set in the near future, tells of retired cat burglar Frank whose slipping mental state causes concern from his kids and provokes his son to buy him a robot home assistant to take care of him.
Frank's daughter Liv Tyler also pops down to see him but she resents the robot helper but that is because she spends so little time with Frank and feels guilty about it.The film is set in a near future setting with automation gathering pace.
Frank starts getting the Robot involved in stuff that he should not be getting involved in, and the story basically builds around that.The strong acting of Langella and Sarandon is what carries this movie.
"Robot & Frank" is a future movie which shows us a divorced old man trying just to survive.
With Robot keen to set schedules and activities for Frank, Frank helps by suggesting lock-picking, casing potential places for robbery and so on, thus drawing the automation into his unlikely world of crime.This is a nice but very light film throughout, and it is an odd one because I both enjoyed it for what it did while also wishing it had put a bit more work in to make itself something even better.
I enjoyed the dynamic and their arc together, I just felt like the story around them and the characters they interact with wasn't appealing.Frank, played by Frank Langella, is an aging lonely man who doesn't really want anything to do with people who try and help him with his dementia.
Liv Tyler seemed like she didn't know what to do with her character and the lines she was given.So in all, Robot & Frank proved to be a disappointing film that had the potential to be great.
In the near future, an aging thief with memory problems (Frank Langella) gets a robot assistant.Nice little movie, reminds me a little of the interaction between the man and the robot in "Moon".The robot's design is a bit distracting at first since it's pretty obvious that it's a (wo)man in a suit, which makes it pretty hard to suspend the disbelief.
When you know that Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon, and Liv Tyler are all going to be in a movie, you think to yourself, Gotta get me to Robot and Frank.
And while it is a relatively small independent film you wouldn't know it from the cast, which includes recognizable stars Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon, and Liv Tyler (with Peter Sarsgaard providing the voice for the titular robot).
The supporting actors are also excellent, including Susan Sarandon as the local librarian and object of Frank's affections, James Marsden and Liv Tyler as Frank's children, Jeremy Strong as the wealthy, entitled community patron who serves as the film's villain, and Peter Sarsgaard as the voice of Robot.
The director and cinematographer know enough to get out of the way and let the actors bring the story and characters to life.By the end, the film has taken an interesting path to address aging and family relationships with humor, sadness, and understanding.
The robot presents a new reality to his way of thinking, rejecting the good aspects of being helped, at first, then adapting the device to his own needs.The great Frank Langella gives life to Frank.
One other thing: there are now sophisticated but small robots available to perform household chores and act as home care attendants.When aging ex-con and petty thief, Frank (played by Frank Langella), begins exhibiting signs of dementia, his son Hunter buys him a robot to take care of chores around the house and put the old man on a new healthy regimen consisting of good diet and exercise.
That is until his son gets him a assistant robot to take care of him, even tho' Frank resists that in the beginning.Story moves in a good pace and it doesn't take that much time until Frank discovers the robot could help him with something from the way past.It's a little sad that the movie ends so soon, kinda felt it misses something from the end, but maybe that is just a good thing..
Frank's son Hunter (James Marsden), who has his own family and works as an attorney, is tired of visiting his father's home, but is reluctant to put him in full- time care, so he buys a robot companion (voiced by Peter Sarsgaard), programmed to provide Frank with therapeutic care, including a good diet, a daily routine and activities to improve creativity and memory.