Robot and Frank – Film Review
Director: Jake Schreier
Starring: Frank Langella, James Marsden, Liv Tyler, Susan Sarandon and Peter Sarsgaard
Released: 8 March 2013
At around the halfway point in Robot and Frank, the robot from the title has a conversation with a library copier machine, asking it how it is, and then reassuring it that it too is doing quite well. It then looks back at Frank, who laughs a little awkwardly before sending it away. It seems strange that in a film that promotes itself as being both hilarious and heartbreaking, this is probably the most amusing scene. It isn’t heartbreaking, but it does feel a little sad that a film with such potential as this doesn’t rise to the heights it seems more than capable of.
The plot is set in the near-future and focuses on Frank (Langella), an elderly and mentally ill man, whose kids have grown weary of taking care of him. Rather than send him to a nursing home against his wishes, Hunter (Marsden) acquires the Robot (voiced by Sarsgaard) whom Frank forms an uneasy relationship and eventually friendship.
The primary issue with Robot and Frank is that its tone flops about like a fish out of water. Considering the fact that Frank is in fact a retired cat-burglar and that his daughter Madison (Tyler) retains a political stance against the reliance on technology, there is plenty of room for humor And at times, the film takes full advantage of this. Watching Franks reaction to the Robots suggestion that they ‘start a garden’ is rich. And the way in which he teaches Robot to defend himself from potential thieves and vandals gets a good laugh, especially as it is a running joke.
Where the film glimmers hopefully are in the scenes that employ humor to convey social concerns, significantly in the over-reliance on technology. The library in Franks hometown is being renovated in order to ‘capture the vintage library experience’. “Books are cool again”, simpers Susan Sarandon’s Jennifer, as guys in skinny jeans and thick rimmed glasses marvel at Frank’s knowledge of ‘written literature’. (At this point, a man in the audience, whom I noticed reading from his Kindle before the screening began, begins to squirm uncomfortably).
Unfortunately, these moments are inter-cut with scenes that are clearly meant to feel dramatic or touching, and this jars noticeably, mainly as they simply aren’t very effective. Like the Robot itself, they come across as completely lacking in emotion and just don’t hit the right notes. Frank’s illness and his relationship with his kids are clearly supposed to be the crux of this heartbreaking drama, but none of the characters feel very relatable. Neither Liv Tyler nor James Marsden are able to portray Frank’s kids sympathetically. In fact, Tyler succeeds in only coming across as annoying and almost unnecessary to the over-arching plot. Her stance on technology comes across as shallow and whimsical, while her ‘love’ for her father is barely registered.
The majority of the focus is on Frank however, and he is equally guilty for his cold portrayal of a fragile old man. At one point, when he finally acknowledges that he enjoys having the Robot around, he weakly confesses to Madison that “It’s my friend”. It is the powerful lack of emotion that resounds at this point, rather than any form of sympathy, which is a shame considering what a deceptively simple yet well-written line this is. In what is clearly supposed to be the central tear-jerker scene, Frank rumbles along in much the same manner as he did when telling the Robot to make him some cereal.
There are moments of greatness in this film, the Robot himself providing some wonderfully deadpan humor. There is also an intriguing message being conveyed, but rather than deliver it in its entirety, the film gives it to the audience in shattered pieces, most of which are being sent to the wrong address. With a tone that spasms uncomfortably between buddy comedy, heist movie and heartfelt drama, Robot and Frank begs to appeal to everyone, but cannot reach the heights it should due to lifeless performances from its lead performers.
Score: 2/5
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