Review of Robot & Frank (2012) by John M — 13 Mar 2014

Charm and chemistry. So in the not-so-distant future, Frank (Frank Langella) is an aging ex-con, and when his mental health begins to deteriorate, his son buys him a very advanced care robot to look after him.

Of course, old habits die hard, and he almost immediately utilizes the robot to plan burglaries. There is a lot about this that echoed one of my other 2012 favorites, Safety Not Guaranteed: there's a science-fiction angle, it's low budget and indie, and they both grow on you and completely win you over with pitch perfect endings, and what do you know, I ended up loving this movie just as much as that one.

Frank Langella does a great job of playing a lovable man with a vice. He's curmudgeonly and cranky, sort of the way Clint Eastwood is in Gran Torino, but less racist. There is also a nice supporting cast with B-list actors that I'm always happy to see, like James Marsden.

Also great is the man you don't see, Peter Sarsgaard, who voices the robot. He and Frank make for a wonderful duo, and they share a very entertaining back and forth together. Also, I am never one to complain about a movie being too short, but this could have been a half hour longer, and I wouldn't have minded in the slightest.

Robot & Frank is laugh out loud funny, and has a surprising amount of depth and heart.