"Robot & Frank" (2012)

On its face, Robot & Frank is a goofy little film about an elderly man, in the near distant future, whose estranged children give him a robot servant/companion to take care of him. The film is, for a large portion of its run-time, a buddy comedy with Frank (Frank Langella) playing straight-man to the overly rational robot (voiced by Peter Sarsgaard). But the film's playfulness, even its minor sci-fi elements (thankfully never overplayed), hide a deeper sense of longing and sadness. Frank is at the start of falling into Alzheimer's and his memory is slowly failing him, but that might be for the best, for him at least anyway, as his past doesn't appear to be something anyone on their last leg would want to dwell upon for too long. He was a terrible husband and a worse father, unsuccessfully pursuing cat burglary as a profession, at the expense of his familial ties. His relationships are now strained and his career is an unfulfilled dream. Frank is reluctant to have the robot around but he bonds with the bot, discovering his first real connection in ages, while the robot keeps reminding Frank he's not a human, even as he keeps referring to him as "friend" as if he is human. The film parallels Frank with the robot; it has the memory capacity, as well as the drive to improve Frank, that Frank so desperately needs. The story also contrasts Frank with the changing world; Frank is increasingly a relic in a digital age which makes his connection all the more amusing but also poignant. The film is funny, but its melancholic edge allows it to say meaningful things about growing old and yearning for the past. All of this leads to an ending that is surprisingly affecting but never sacrifices the film's oddball sense of humor.

Grade: ★★★