Frank Langella returns to the big screen with Susan Sarandon in the latest sci-fi silver surfer rom-com heist movie (maybe a first), Robot And Frank. Featuring an unlikely robotic friendship and a random chequered past, it’s a film that looks like it could be a surprisingly brilliant story.
Set in America in the not too distant future, Frank (Langella) is an ageing retired jewel thief with a lot of time on his hands and not a great deal of inclination to use it for much. His son, Hunter (James Marsden), has plans to enrich his farther’s life though and turns up with Robot, taking Frank’s life from sedentary to mental in a matter of days.
Robot is voiced by Peter Sarsgaard (Green Lantern) with dead-pan computerised irrepressibility and Susan Sarandon plays librarian Jennifer, the second object of Frank’s affection (not including expensive jewelry). Liv Tyler (Super) also puts in a showing as Frank’s disapproving daughter, Madison.
From the look of the trailer, the film is going to be a random heist tale that’s a lot of fun. It’s bound to have elements of age related concepts similar to the likes of The Bucket List, but hopefully there will be enough of The Scent Of A Woman to make it work well.
The UK release date has been set for the 8th March 2013, despite the fact that the film was in cinemas in the US back in August. It was first premiered in January earlier this year at the Sundance Film Festival.
Robot and Frank was the joint winner of the Festival’s Alfred P. Sloan Prize, so that should be a good sign that it’ll be as good as it looks.
