A worthy addition to the 2012 London Film Festival line-up: this is a sweet and human story that just happens to be a science fiction film.
Frank is an ageing jewel
thief. As living alone becomes more of a struggle, his son provides him with a
robot to help out around the home. Initially balking at the prospect, Frank soon
warms to the idea when he realises the robot may be able to help out in more
than just simple domestic matters. Together they hatch a plot that keeps Frank
active and the onset of his dementia at bay.
Robot and
Frank can be termed as ‘soft sci-fi’. (That means no jet boots and lazer guns,
but it is the future, featuring small advances in technology but not too
dissimilar to the present day.) This element works well. It’s a very believable
vision of the near future, striking a good balance between the known and the
unknown.
The
mighty Frank Langella (Frank) delivers a nuanced performance opposite the
titular Robot. No mean feat considering his co-star is a composite of metal and
plastic. Peter Sarsgaard is perfectly cast as the voice of Robot. (Although the
two actors have still, to this day, not actually met each other.) Langella is
dryly funny and supercool as the tough-as-nails ex-con. James Marsden and Liv
Tyler lend solid support as his concerned son and daughter. Susan Sarandon also
features, as does Jeremy Sisto, a talented actor I’d really like to see more
of.
It’s consistently funny
throughout. It also deals with a depressing subject like Alzheimer’s in an
engaging but un-patronising manner, and it always makes for an entertaining
watch. There are plot points that don’t entirely work but I liked it so much
I’m disinclined to pick holes. By and large this is a very charming flick by
first time director Jake Schreier, from a hugely original script (from which I predict copycats galore) by Christopher
D. Ford.
