Robot and Frank is a good film. It is about medical ethics and the use of robots. On the one hand it seems like Frank has a form of dementia, which contributes to the plot. The robot is Frank's care-giver but also a pal who helps him steal, create new projects and get a piece of his memory back. Stealing here is Frank's past-time. Frank considers it a kind of skill and a kind of hobby which excites Frank. Having a partner in crime (the robot) makes Frank a little bit more hopeful in life.I believe the main question in this movie is about how ethical is robotics? Can a human befriend a robot? Can a robot do what humans cannot do? Can the robot be programmed to help a sick human?

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. Still, it's a OK movie.Excellent score by Francis and the Lights. Good performance by Langella. Good voice acting by Peter Sarsgaard.The script could have been more interesting.

"The human brain, a lovely piece of hardware."Jake Schreier won the Feature Film Prize at Sundance in 2012 for this original dramatic comedy and it's easy to see why. There are few films in Hollywood that deal with aging and when they do they are usually handled in an overly sentimental or poorly manner. By simply looking at the poster alone, I thought I knew what this movie was going to be about: an odd pairing of a grumpy old man refusing to accept the assistance of a robot but who would eventually get to befriend it and accept it. Robot & Frank however was nothing like I expected and the story had a very original premise with a strong central performance from Frank Langella. It also stands out in its depiction of the future, which seems much more believable and approachable than most futuristic dystopian movies. It is a simple movie that approaches the subject of aging in a rather simple but realistic manner. Frank (Frank Langella) is a former jewel thief who has served time in prison, but is now living on his own in an upstate New York town. His son, Hunter (James Marsden) takes long drives to come visit him during the weekends to check up on him and during one of those visits he brings him a robot (voiced by Peter Sarsgaard) to assist him. The robot specializes in healthcare, but Frank isn't too keen about having him around. Not knowing how to shut if off he eventually gives in and allows it to do the chores in the house. During the course of the movie we realize Frank is beginning to have trouble remembering things (showing early signs of dementia), and that is why his family is concerned for him. His daughter, Madison (Liv Tyler), is a philanthropist who is always traveling to foreign countries but also tries to check up on him when she has a chance. Frank's robot wants him to begin a new project in order to improve his health and it believes that Frank should take on gardening and establish a daily routine. But Frank has other ideas, he wants to plan for a new heist and he easily convinces the robot that it is a good idea. Susan Sarandon also has a supporting role in this film as a local librarian that Frank frequently visits, but there isn't much of a romantic arc. The film is basically a dramatic comedy centering on the relationship Frank forms with his robot and how his family deals with his illness. Langella is the true stand out here and he carries this movie with his solid performance. There were moments were the pacing seemed to drag, but his character simply captivated me and got me through some of those patches. I had some issues with the ending as well, which seemed a bit too neatly wrapped for a film that basically was staying away from genre formulas and conventions for almost its entire runtime. But for a film that centers on a relationship between an old man and a robot it does feel quite fresh in that unlike with most sci-fi films, here there is no conflict as to if the robot will develop a consciousness or not. It never seems to be an issue here and he constantly reminds Frank that he is not alive. This isn't a man versus machine type of movie, it is more interested in showing how technology can help improve our lives as is the case with Frank, although there are of course dangers implied with it, depending on how we use this technology. The screenplay focuses on that intimate relationship between Frank and his robot, and that ends up being the highlight of this film. http://estebueno10.blogspot.com/

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