Robot & Frank (2012)

Set 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.

Director:

Jake Schreier

Writer:

Christopher D. Ford (screenplay)

Stars:

Frank Langella, Liv Tyler, Peter Sarsgaard

2 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Frank Langella	...	Frank
James Marsden	...	Hunter
Liv Tyler	...	Madison
Peter Sarsgaard	...	Robot (voice)
Susan Sarandon	...	Jennifer
Jeremy Strong	...	Jake
Jeremy Sisto	...	Sheriff Rowlings
Rachael Ma	...	Robot Performer
Bonnie Bentley	...	Ava
Ana Gasteyer	...	Shoplady
Katherine Waterston	...	Shopgirl
Dario Barosso	...	Freckles
Joshua Ormond	...	Flattop
James D. Compton	...	Skinny Sheriff
Dana Morgan	...	Additional Robot Performer

Storyline

In the near future, Frank is a retired catburglar living alone while his successful son, Hunter, tries to care for him from afar. Finally, Hunter gets him a robot caretaker, but Frank soon learns that it is as useful as a burglary aide. As Frank tries to restart his old profession, the uncomfortable realities of a changing world and his worsening dementia threaten to take beyond what any reboot can do for him.

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Plot Keywords:

near future | thief | robot | heist | library | 

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Taglines:

Friendship doesn't have an off switch.

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [jp]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 September 2012 (France)

Also Known As:

A robot és Frank

Filming Locations:

Cold Spring, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$35,539 (USA) (17 August 2012)

Gross:

$3,325,638 (USA) (18 January 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dog Run Pictures, Park Pictures, TBB

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The vehicle that passes Frank when he is walking down the road is an available production car, a Tango by Commuter Cars.

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Quotes

Frank: I would rather die eating cheeseburgers than live off of steamed cauliflower.

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Crazy Credits

The end credits show various scenes of industrial and research robots performing various tasks, such as walking, gripping everyday items, pouring drinks and serving trays.

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Connections

Featured in Maltin on Movies: Best and Worst Movies of 2012 (2013)

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Soundtracks

"Ave Verum Corpus KV6 18"
Performed by Ton Koopman and the Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra
Courtesy of Warner Classics
By arrangement with Warner Music Group Gilm & TV Licensing

User Reviews

Robot and Frank...3.5 out of 4 Skittles

Robot & Frank opens nationally this week only at a limited number of select art-house theaters across the country, and most likely won't get the larger release it deserves…which frankly is too bad. The film uniquely crosses across so many genre borders and can best be described as a dramedy meets a heist thriller. Robot & Frank is incredibly charming, funny and moving.

Writer Christopher D. Ford pens his rare tale set sometime in the ambiguous near future. He doesn't worry about flying cars or futuristic fashion, and keeps this tale grounded in a plausible future that is easily believable. First time director Jake Schreier reveals a mature ability to find the perfect pacing that develops the characters with ease and exact timing that turns the comedy bits into gold.

Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon, Good Night, and Good Luck) is nothing short of exceptional as the title character of Frank. He is hilarious and poignant as the surly ex-con who is starting to lose his mind, and radiates a million emotions across his face without saying a word. If this film could possibly find a larger audience, Langella would have a good shot at punching his Oscar card again.

The smaller supporting cast plays in perfect to establish Frank's present and his past. Susan Sarandon (Thelma & Louise, Dead Man Walking) radiates a beautiful sadness playing a lonely librarian and one of Frank's only connections to the real world. Liv Tyler (Lord of the Rings, Armageddon) and James Marsden (X-Men, 27 Dresses) are solid as Frank's grown-up kids who don't have the time to care for their father and his worsening condition. Best of all is Peter Sarsgaard (Jarhead, Garden State) who brings a perfect sense of comedy and real life validation as the voice of the robot. His dry wit steals the scene on numerous occasions.

Robot & Frank is one of the best films of the year. It's a mystery why bigger studio distributors are so afraid to fully get behind a film like this and push it out the mass audience, especially when you think about the $80 million that was spent on advertising costs for a film like Battleship alone. Robot & Frank is funny, exciting and touching. What else does a movie need?

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