Robot & Frank

 

DIRECTED BY-: 
Jake Schreier

STARRING-: 

Peter Sarsgaard 

Frank Langella 

Susan Sarandon

YEAR OF RELEASE-: 

2012

PREMISE-: 

In the near future, an ex-jewel thief receives a gift from his son: a robot butler programmed to look after him. But soon the two companions try their luck as a heist team.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS.

THE POSITIVE-: 

• Some of the robot's actions were entertaining to watch.

THE PROBLEMS-:

• Our main character is a former thief who did time in prison for jewel robberies and tax evasion. He was distant and cold to his children, he never bought toys for them and after he came back from prison, he really wanted to steal with his son but couldn't because of his deteriorating health. Cut to 30 years later, his wife has left him but he has no regrets and still continuously shoplifts. When his son brings a robot to take care of him, our main character decides to use the robot's skills for planning and carrying out two robberies. In the end, in order to save himself from the police, he decides to shut down the robot because the robot's memory would put him in danger. I think you already know what my problems are going to be with this. Our main character is not likable at all. He is selfish, arrogant, narcissistic and rude. He has no sense of remorse. This would have been fine if he became a changed man by the end of the movie, had some form of character growth or arc, OR if the film itself acknowledged how much of a jerk he is and didn’t try to depict him as some sort of selfless man by the end. Now, Some of my favorite movies and tv shows are revolve around criminals; and they are my favorite because they get the WHY aspect of the characters right. Every action they take has a logical and emotional reason and progression. But here, the movie provides none. Why does frank want to steal? Why does he do this despite knowing it hurts his kids? We get a small throwaway line, something along the lines of ‘’Oh rich, young people are stupid and careless so it’s alright to steal from them’’ which comes off exactly as flimsy and naive as it sounds. 

• The robot's character had immense potential. Throughout the film, it kept repeating ‘’You know i'm not human. I know I’m not alive'', as if he was trying more to convince himself rather than Frank. I wish the film explored how humane robots can become with the advancement of technology. But, apart from a few lines of dialogue, the film never tries to focus on the robot, who is perhaps the most likable character in the whole movie.

• For a film which broadly tries to explore the bond between man and robot, it often shies away from developing either of them as characters or building a relationship between the two OR including scenes where the man isn’t using the robot for his own benefits.  

• This might be a nitpick , but the design of the robot was really lame and derivative. In some scenes, it was very clear that the robot is in fact a person in a suit. 

• The film is also pretty dull plot-wise. There is no real conflict, whether it be an external or internal one. The one major heist that happens is uninteresting and filled with tropes. The first act of the film is very uneventful and the second and third acts rely on the police being incompetent for the plot to progress. There is one decent twist that might surprise some but I saw it coming from miles away. 

• There's always a blue taint finish all over the screen and it is sleep inducing. A colorful pallet against an old man would have been interesting to look at but instead we get shades of white and gray which becomes really monotonous and obnoxious. 

• There's no excitement, no energy in the direction. Even when the robot arrives, there's no shift in the mood or style of the screenplay. The look of the film and the narrative remains generic and bland. 

CONCLUSION

I suppose the film's efforts of coming up with something original and something that defies the stereotypes of the genre is appreciable but the effort alone was unfortunately not enough to create a strong and compelling story.

RATING -: 3/10