FILM REVIEW: "Robot & Frank"

[Rachel Galvin]

By Rachel Galvin

(Possible spoilers!)

"Robot & Frank" was the opening night film for PBIFF 2012 and was shown at Muvico Parisian in City Place, West Palm Beach on April 12. It also recently viewed at the Sarasota Film Festival.

Set in the near future, Jack Schreier's "Robot & Frank" is a poignant and hilarious film about an older man, Frank (Frank Langella), who is battling Alzheimer's and has been given a robot by his son to help him clean his house, cook his food and overlook his health.

At first kleptomaniac Frank, who spends his time visiting the librarian he has a crush on (played by Susan Sarandon) and attempting to go to his favorite restaurant, which he again and again discovers is no longer there, rejects the robot. We see his distaste for the newfangled gadget and his longing to return to the good old days -- which we soon find out was when he was a skilled cat burglar.

When the library begins to remodel, shifting from a traditional library to a social center, and books are seen as antiquated forms of information, he really gets ruffled, especially when it is made clear by members of the yuppie set that he also is "obsolete." But, it inspires him to try an experiment with the robot. It seems if he is stuck with the piece of metal and circuitry, he may as well find a use for him.

When his test proves successful, he is back in the swing of things and has a newfound lease on life with his new best friend, the robot, by his side. His antics end him up in hot water. But even the robot has a few tricks up its sleeve and we follow the duo's cunning ways, daring escapes and heavy decisions, which are both hilarious and, at times, somber and thoughtful.

The acting is superb in this film, which also stars Liv Tyler as Frank's bohemian daughter with wanderlust and James Marsden as his bitter son. The theme is original and will keep you thinking as new aspects of Frank's life emerge within the film. It is the type of film that stays with you. We feel Frank's regrets, his longing for a return to the past, the sadness of those around him who simply want acknowledgement, who wish things would have been different, but try to keep going day after day. It is something those who have had Alzheimer's in their family know all too well. This will also be relate-able to anyone in the Sandwich generation dealing with an aging parent.

But instead of getting bogged down by these themes, the film is lifted up by the comedy of the situation. Prepare to laugh out loud and find that the robot actually is the "most human" of them all.