Saturday, October 13, 2012

Robot and Frank

Whimsical, indie, charming, hilarious and bittersweet. With a list like that you must all be stroking your chins pervasively in an attempt to figure out the theme of this blog post. I can see all you chin-strokers now, muttering things like "hmmmm, I do wonder where she is going with this!"(Sitting with legs crossed next to a flickering fire in a log cabin wearing elbow patches, because that's what I visualize when I think of someone pondering).

Could she be describing an overly-dramatic dinner with her extended family? Possible- all of the aforementioned adjectives could easily apply to that situation. Or she could be describing a really cheerful or awkward funeral. Bittersweet would apply in that instance, but hilarous? That would need some explaining. And I am not sure how a funeral would be indie unless it was the focal point of an indie film. A wedding could certainly be whimsical, indie, and charming, but the last two would be cause for concern. Why is the wedding hilarious? Did the ring bearer throw up on the bride? If so, that is a very one-sided hilarity and also one that cannot be respectfully enjoyed until well after the ceremony. And bittersweet... well, in a good way you could look at the parents seeing their little baby girl all grown and starting a family. Tear drop moment right there.

Anyways, I am going to describe none of the above and stick with the whimsical, charming, hilarious, bittersweet indie film Robot and Frank. I've always had an ability to form emotional bonds with intimate objects like stuffed animals in my youth, and my bond formed with the robot was just as strong. It sounds strange to say, but there was definite onscreen chemistry between Frank Langella and the 1990s-looking robot (voiced by Peter Sarsgaard) purchased by his son (James Marsden) to care for him in his old age.

Frank lives alone in what we are told is the not-so-distant future where libraries are being replaced by electronic books and people can call you on your television. It's not a completely foreign place, there are just a few oddities to let you know that it is, indeed, the future. For example, many people put their household upkeep needs in the hands of robots, and instead of caregivers buy one for their aging parents, as is the case with Frank. Frank's hippie daughter (played by Liv Tyler) feels that it is inhumane to treat robots as servants- a humorous side plot throughout the film which causes some trouble for Frank and the robot's blossoming relationship.

Each element of the plot reached perfection, from the major twist near the end to the ending itself. Robot and Frank is truly a treat and brings you through the range of emotions you expect during a night out at the theater. 

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