Robot & Frank

On one level, Robert & Frank is a smart, and smartly played, caper comedy. Before he ‘retired’, Frank (Frank Langella) was a cat burglar who specialized in stealing jewelry from the very rich (so nobody really got hurt except the insurance companies).  He’s too old to pull off a job by himself, but it isn’t very long before he discovers that his robot helper has the skills needed to help him without any of the moral conundrums about stealing being right or wrong. The mismatched pair head off on a mini-crime spree that’s a lot of fun and if the movie was just about that, it would be pretty entertaining to watch. But there’s more. The script deftly weaves the issue of Frank’s failing mental health into the crime caper in some very effective ways. Having something to do and keep him mentally stimulated – even if it is stealing – is good for Frank, but it isn’t a cure for his Alzheimer’s. It only holds off the inevitable decline, and Langella does a stunning job of balancing the two mental states in one performance while at the same time letting the audience see the fear in Frank’s eyes because in his more lucid moments he knows what is happening to him and how helpless he is to stop it. It’s a brilliant bit of acting that takes a fun little robot movie and raises it to the level of art.