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Robot & Frank

Robot & Frank (2012)

August. 16,2012
|
7
|
PG-13
| Drama Comedy Crime Science Fiction

Curmudgeonly old Frank lives by himself. His routine involves daily visits to his local library, where he has a twinkle in his eye for the librarian. His grown children are concerned about their father’s well-being and buy him a caretaker robot. Initially resistant to the idea, Frank soon appreciates the benefits of robotic support – like nutritious meals and a clean house – and eventually begins to treat his robot like a true companion. With his robot’s assistance, Frank’s passion for his old, unlawful profession is reignited, for better or worse.

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SnoReptilePlenty
2012/08/16

Memorable, crazy movie

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Doomtomylo
2012/08/17

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

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Guillelmina
2012/08/18

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

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Yvonne Jodi
2012/08/19

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

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Pjtaylor-96-138044
2012/08/20

'Robot & Frank (2012)' is a quiet and quite charming piece that places more emphasis on its central character's relationship with an insentient yet seemingly alive mechanical assistant than anything else, with this core dynamic working remarkably well considering its one sided nature as it allows for both the protagonist and audience to project themselves onto the eponymous automaton and for it to become a lens through which all other relationships can manifest themselves in strangely honest ways. The film is never fantastic, especially from its basically basic technical stand-point (though the practical effects used on the titular 'Robot' are tangible, convincing and refreshing), but it always retains its wholesome aesthetic and entertaining outlook, allowing it to be an enjoyable picture that is a little forgettable but also a little touching too. 7/10

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Prismark10
2012/08/21

Robot & Frank stars Frank Langella as a former burglar now living alone and suffering from Alzheimer. His son James Marsden makes regular long round trips to visit him. He buys him a robot to look after him and frankly so he can pop down less often.Frank is a bit of a rebel, he still does petty shoplifting and we also learn he did long stretches of a prison time. Still his resentment for the robot soon turns to affection when he realises that he can use the robot to plan his next big burglary job against a man who humiliated him.Frank has befriended a local librarian Susan Sarandon, who seems to be new to the town and seems to be attracted to Frank's rebellious streak. 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. It is also a mini heist film as Frank comes alive planning the burglary job and figuring that his robot helper is invaluable.The film is also about memory, as Frank is invigorated, the Robot knows it has the incriminating evidence of the burglary on its hard drive as the cops close in.There is a twist in the film concerning Frank's relationship with Sarandon but I am not sure Alzheimer and it effects on long term memory works in the way it is depicted here.Robot & Frank is a small scale but charming film with a stellar performance from Langella. I have known for years his reputation as a Shakespearean stage actor but he has been rather wasted in celluloid. Here he gives a subtle performance and is matched by other actors as well as the robot.

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jb_campo
2012/08/22

Robot & Frank is a touch-above-average film. Frank Langella stars as Frank, a retired thief who is living in an isolated home in upstate NY. He is suffering from early Alzheimer's as he keeps forgetting and misremembering dates, name, and events. He was married, but no longer is. He has a daughter Madison (Liv Tyler) who is a free spirit traveling the world. Frank's son Hunter (James Marsden) is fairly well off, it seems working a job down in NYC. Hunter thinks Dad needs the company of a Robot to help him keep focused, and to help him battle against his forgetting things.The interplay between Frank and Hunter is very charged. Frank spent a lot of the kids' youth in jail because of his checkered past, and Hunter seems to never have gotten over it. While Madison seems somewhat oblivious.The acting is best between Jennifer (Susan Sarandon), the librarian at the local library, and Frank. Frank's one sole pleasure in life seems to be going to the library and hoping that Jennifer will go on a date with him. Meanwhile, the Robot and Frank develop a unique friendship. 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. While the story is somewhat interesting, and there is one big surprising moment, overall, the movie felt long to me, even though it is only 90 minutes long. In the end, you feel sad for people who suffer from diseases like Alzheimer's, but hey, didn't you BEFORE this movie? Having the star as a thief definitely impacted how sorry or not sorry I felt for Frank. While the director Jake Schreier tried desperately to get viewers to feel sad for Frank, Hunter, Jennifer, and the Robot, ultimately, he failed. There was no real tear-jerker moment, and for me, that is why this film is not really memorable.This one is worth a view, but for emotions and feeling sad for people suffering from diseases, instead see Rain Man - far superior. Enjoy.

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Thomas Drufke
2012/08/23

Robot films are difficult to pull off. You have to create a story around robot(s) and presumably quite a few humans that feels fluid and natural. With Robot & Frank, the relationship between the two of them wasn't the problem. In fact, I think the best parts of the film were the two bickering or bantering back and forth. Well, I guess it was mostly just Frank doing the bickering, but still. 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. His son, played by James Marsden, buys him a robot who is supposed to help around the house. Of course, at first Frank is opposed to the idea but soon grows to enjoy the robot's company. He then decides to convince the robot to accompany him on a series of cat burglaries as he was once a convicted criminal. This was the side of the film that I just didn't buy into. It's a new and interesting take on the sci-fi genre, but I thought the execution was poor. I liked the development of Frank and his love interest's relationship, played by Susan Sarandon, was far more interesting and satisfying than what the robberies had to offer. I think if the film focused more on the trio of the robot, Frank, and her, the film would have resonated much more with me. Plus, I never really saw the need of having either of his two kids even in the film. 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. Characters and story arcs ended up being unnecessary in an otherwise sweet tale of a man dealing with dementia. Hopefully Jake Schreier can pick it up for this summer's Paper Towns.+Langella +Early scenes with Robot -Third act left turn needed more build up -Liv Tyler felt out of place -Crime aspect wasn't appealing5.8/10

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