Robot & Frank

So I watched the movie Robot & Frank last night...if you haven't seen it, it's on Netflix! You're welcome. 

Frank portrayed by Frank Langella, Robot portrayed by Peter Sarsgaard.

Well, if you're not convinced by the quaint trailer above, I'll try to persuade you to watch it myself. If you didn't watch the trailer, here's the gist of it; Frank is an ex-jewel thief who is a little bit on the senile side. His son visits every weekend, however, the road trip takes away from the little time he has to spend with his own kids. So, he finds an alternative option...he presents Frank with a highly intelligent robot modified to assist and take care of his aging father. At first Frank has a difficult time adjusting to life with the robot, but as time goes on, he sees it's potential as a partner in crime, literally. 

I don't think I gave away any spoilers, and I'll try to avoid doing so in my personal opinion of the movie. As someone extremely interested in artificial intelligence and the effect they might have on our lives in the future, I found this film to be phenomenal. Jake Schreier (the director) and Christopher D. Ford (the writer) both did an excellent job in portraying the near future and the use of robotic helpers in a realistic and believable manner. 

Frank Langella is an an Oscar nominated actor who's starred in such films as Frost/Nixon and The Ninth Gate; he plays the lead role of "Frank" from Robot & Frank. His depiction of an old fashioned crook slowly losing his memory was only outshone by his robot companion itself. Robot was voiced by Peter Sarsgaard, another critically acclaimed actor who has a knack for achieving versatility in his roles. I was sincerely moved by the humorous and heartfelt dynamic created by the two leading roles. 

Jennifer (played by Susan Sarandon), Frank, and Robot.

Out of the three main supporting characters, I felt Susan Sarandon captured my attention the most. Her character was that of "Jennifer", a kindly librarian who Frank can't seem to stay away from. Sarandon played the role effortlessly and really drew me into the storyline. James Marsden and Liv Tyler portrayed Frank's children, and though their acting was believable, they could not compete with Sarandon's hefty experience as a long-time actress. In my opinion, James Marsden did a better job depicting the struggle of a child of an ex-con more realistically than Liv Tyler. But their performances did not subtract from the film itself! 

Frank, Robot, and Frank's daughter, Madison (played by Liv Tyler). 

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, and it left me slightly emotional, contented, and wanting more. If you have not seen it, pleaseeee do! Like I said, it is on Netflix, and is entertaining from start to finish.