https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jZlSfsE730

The story of Robot & Frank is of an older man, struggling with memory loss, who is given a robotic Care Aid by his son. Frank, an ex-burglar, is at first opposed to the idea of a robot in his home, and his daughter shares the same anti-tech feelings. Though, both can agree that the robot is a big help with cleaning and cooking. Frank has a change of heart when he discovers a flaw, or a gap, in his robot’s programming: it doesn’t know much about stealing. The robot unintentionally assists him with stealing a small trinket from a soap shop, which launches Frank into his old burglary days. He teaches his robot how to pick a lock, and the robot complies as Frank tells him it is just a hobby which is good for him and his health. Frank, who served time in prison earlier in life, steals an old book from the library as well as an expensive necklace from the home of a snippy young tech guy who offended him.

Frank is one of the only patrons of his town’s library, where Jennifer works. Jennifer also has a robot, Mr. Darcy, who works with her at the library. Jennifer, now, is simply a friend who he has a crush on. In the end, we realize she was actually a larger part of his past that he has sadly forgotten. The library is just being transformed, by the snippy young tech guy’s company, into a kind of augmented reality experience. The kind of experience which has no need for printed books (a prediction similar to Gary Shteyngart’s story). The story-line gives the film an interesting interplay of past and future, a future which feels a little too close for comfort.

Books, or printed books, are predicted as becoming extinct. This idea is something people are reluctant to believe, this is the hardest pill for us to swallow. We were okay with technology doing-away with records, tapes and CDs. We were also okay with technology closing down every movie-rental store, and bulldozing over VHS tapes and soon, DVDs. But, people are holding onto their books. This love for print is endearing in our culture, and gives a kind of omni-present sadness to the comedy of Robot & Frank. There’s something about turning pages of paper which people feel nostalgic for when reading books on a screen. There’s something in the past which we don’t want to let go of and for Frank, it is Jennifer.

In the end, the police are on to Frank. The only way to clear him from trouble is by deleting his robot’s memory. Something he struggles doing, but eventually does. He is then put into a care home where everyone else has a robot except him.

The film’s portrayal of the future felt realistic, robots are helpful and butler-like for those who need help at home. Their advanced programming skews the line between friend and robot. Frank defends his robot as a friend, not a slave. It’s a connection that seems plausible, where technology becomes more of a companion or a loved-one in the future (an idea similar to that of Spike Jonze’s Her). His robot has to remind Frank that he is not a person, and deleting his memory will not do any harm. This is difficult for Frank to comprehend, as he is clearly suffering from memory loss in his old age, and does not want his own memory to be completely wiped.

Robot & Frank is an engaging look into the future as it highlights the totally mind-blowing technology, as well as its flaws and opportunities for manipulation – even by an old ex-burglar who knows little about technology. As Frank says, “the human brain, a lovely piece of hardware,” robots will never be quite as complex or intelligent as the human mind. The future holds helpful and state-of-the-art technology but manipulation is possible.

Perhaps my favourite of the film’s insight into the future was a quick line of his daughter’s answering machine: “Why are you leaving me a voicemail?” My parents and my dentist are the only ones who leave me voicemail. If voicemail becomes a thing of the past, I don’t expect to miss it.