Langella steals hearts (and anything else he can) in ‘Robot & Frank’

We’ll be the first to admit that Robot & Frank, the new movie starring Frank Langella as an aging, crusty ex-con who’s losing his memory, appeals mostly to an older audience. The blue-hair crowd was in full force when we saw it over the weekend. But we loved it nevertheless. Thanks to Langella’s fine performance, it’s both funny and bittersweet; it even provides a bit of social commentary on the way that we treat the elderly.

Set in the “near” future, the film doesn’t exactly qualify as sci-fi. It really centers on the relationship that develops between Frank (Langella) and the robot (voiced by Peter Sarsgaard) that his son Hunter (James Marsden) purchases to take care of him. At first, Frank can’t stand the thing. It adjusts his dietary intake, preparing more fresh fruit and vegetables. And it tries to make him exercise regularly. But once Frank realizes that the robot is particularly adept at picking locks and doesn’t have a conscience that would prevent it from stealing, he develops a newfound appreciation for his mechanical companion.

Frank and the robot are all set to break into a neighbor’s house to steal some jewelry when Frank’s hippie dippie daughter Madison (Liv Tyler) shows for a visit. She doesn’t like the “slave labor” robot and shuts it down, throwing Frank’s new routine and devious plans into disarray. But it’s not long before Frank convinces her that he really needs the robot (the thing is an incredible housekeeper), getting Madison to turn it back on in time to pull the heist.

If you’ve seen the film’s trailer, you know Frank and his robot get into a bit of trouble. But the ironic thing is that the robot provides Frank with the kind of therapy that his children and even his librarian love interest Jennifer (Susan Sarandon) are unable to give him. The robot keeps his mind active, and Frank, who suffers from a loss of memory, becomes sharper than ever in its company. While Frank is not without his flaws–lacking as a father, a husband and a citizen—you can’t help but find yourself rooting for him. Langella completely inhabits the character of the curmudgeonly “former” criminal, keeping the laughs coming while managing to elicit sympathy.