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ROBOT & FRANKMovie Reviews
Drama comedy about a retired cat burglar who must adapt to the robot his children purchase to improve his physical and mental health. Cast:Frank Langella, Peter Sarsgaard, Susan Sarandon, Liv Tyler, James Marsden, Jeremy Strong, Jeremy SistoDirector:Jake SchreierRelease Date:August 17, 2012DVD Release:February 12, 2013From:Samuel GoldwynRating:PG-13Length:1 hr. 30 min.
Robot & Frank played in key cities to very good reviews. • Dana Stevens wrote for Slate, "...about the complicated relationship between a thief and his mechanized sidekick.... a rueful and funny reflection on aging, death, parenthood, and technology..." • And Mick LaSalle wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle, "Langella's is a beautiful performance..." More Reviews Below...
Robot & Frank Positive Reviews (39 Reviews, reviews below)
Lesley Messer, People: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a sweet film about an elderly man who's losing his memory... Poignant performances make this simple and timely tale one that resonates."(See all of Lesley Messer's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 95 words, 08/23/12
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "...sentimental high-concept fluff that works... Frank Langella brings the film a gruff magic... it delighted and touched me."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 229 words, 08/24/12
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD(cg) "...has a deceptive simplicity... Langella, who's played everyone from Dracula to Nixon onscreen, is giving a master class in acting."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 226 words, 08/17/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...an intriguing set-up for a story, and director Jake Schreier moves it along with decorum and quiet humor.... at the end, I felt the movie was too easily satisfied."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 535 words, 08/24/12
Kat Murphy, MSN Movies: VERY GOOD(cg) "...may be set in the near future but it's no silly sci-fi fairy tale. Whimsical and poignant by turns, 'R&F' never goes gooey at its emotional center..."(See all of Kat Murphy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 809 words, 08/20/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (13 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...an eager-to-please story... while the filmmakers are willing to show Frank's vulnerability, they keep pushing him onto safer ground."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 626 words, 08/17/12
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Frank Langella gives a somber, bittersweet performance... No one conveys late-life elegy and cool intellectual cunning like Langella."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 123 words, 08/17/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...as unlikely as it is irresistible... Engagingly written and exceptionally polished for a first-time effort... has enough surprises and twists to keep us involved to the very end."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 768 words, 08/24/12
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...has a smart script by C.D. Ford and an impressive supporting cast.... But it's Frank Langella's crafty, heart-tugging burglar who steals every scene."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 206 words, 08/17/12
Roger Moore, Chicago Tribune: MODERATE(cg) "It's more humorous than funny, more charming than truly entertaining. But 'Robot & Frank' can still be savored for its human assets..."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 551 words, 08/24/12
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: VERY GOOD(cg) "...an endearing movie.... Director Jake Schreier and writer C.D. Ford have created a real gem, mixing stock characters with cleverly drawn ones."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 323 words, 08/24/12
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: VERY GOOD "...a puckish, wistful tall tale... has a clean, unfussy palette and a casual pace that keep it from seeming dear... it's a raspberry blown against the dying of the light."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 691 words, 08/13/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...an intriguing set-up for a story, and director Jake Schreier moves it along with decorum and quiet humor.... at the end, I felt the movie was too easily satisfied."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 535 words, 08/24/12
Nick Schager, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...a near future in which automated servants aid the elderly in their twilight years.... it's Langella who ultimately props up this borderline schmaltzy character study."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 188 words, 08/15/12
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "...reminds us of the power of memories and the tragedy of losing them... an amusing charmer.... its quiet voice is worth listening to."(See all of Linda Barnard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 616 words, 08/24/12
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Much of 'Robot & Frank' is (frankly) resistible, including the climactic narrative twist, but there is also a likeable oddness that transcends the sentimental contrivance."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 641 words, 08/24/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The movie's so good for so much of its running time, it's doubly awful to watch it self-destruct in the last reel thanks to a profoundly stupid plot twist."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 231 words, 08/23/12
KEY CITIES (11 Reviews)
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...clever, unexpectedly touching... contains one of the best twist endings, produced by Frank's faltering memory, that I've seen this year... heartstring-tugging."(See all of Michael O'Sullivan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 522 words, 08/24/12
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "Langella plays things just right, with a gloss of sadness, confusion, and fright, but always with a glint of irony, too... the film has a quiet whimsy..."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 375 words, 08/24/12
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...an absurdist comedy that's also a moving drama about the human experience and a touching portrait of old age. It's seriously emotional, occasionally deeply sad..."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 498 words, 08/31/12
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a different kind of buddy film.... This is director Jake Schreier's first feature, and, working from a script by Christopher D. Ford, he creates an inviting world."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 610 words, 08/31/12
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: VERY GOOD(cg) "The pace is quick and director Jake Schreier shows a nice feel for small-town life.The film only stumbles a bit in the last third..."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 422 words, 08/17/12
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a hard, funny and realistic movie about the future.... Langella's is a beautiful performance in a movie that happily seems at no point trying to be beautiful."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 594 words, 08/24/12
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: EXCELLENT(cg) "Frank Langella is splendid... there really is no better special effect in the movies than a fine actor given a wonderful part."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 207 words, 08/31/12
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Crafty actor Langella does a seamless job of developing a rapport with the robot... but ultimately a movie that could have been a little jewel is unpolished."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 316 words, 08/31/12
Steve Persall, Tampa Bay Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...one of the most embraceable movies of the year.... Langella is a constant delight, virile yet vulnerable and seamlessly responding to a co-star who actually isn't there."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 448 words, 08/30/12
Tom Long, Detroit News: EXCELLENT(cg) "This is a fable more than science fiction, yet at its heart is a very real portrait of a mind coming apart, and that reality is treated with respect.... small, delightful..."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 314 words, 08/31/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (7 Reviews)
Nick Schager, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...a near future in which automated servants aid the elderly in their twilight years.... it's Langella who ultimately props up this borderline schmaltzy character study."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 188 words, 08/15/12
Betsy Sherman, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "...has fun with the pair's series of heists, but also folds in darker notes.... the best old-man buddy movie I've seen since 'Up.' "(See all of Betsy Sherman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 167 words, 08/23/12
Noel Murray, AV Club: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a crowdpleaser.... Christopher Ford's screenplay is sturdily crafted -- and director Jake Schreier elicits warm performances from Frank Langella and Susan Sarandon."(See all of Noel Murray's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 220 words, 01/22/12
Jesse Hassenger, Pop Matters: MODERATE(cg) "The movie's low-budget science fiction concepts, as it turns out, are easier to buy into than its ideas about how stealing and police investigating work..."(See all of Jesse Hassenger's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 717 words, 08/28/12
Chris Cabin, Slant: POOR(cg) "...a movie with a robot, where the robot has no reason to be one other than to provide a hook for an otherwise intolerably mundane story..."(See all of Chris Cabin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 562 words, 08/14/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The movie's so good for so much of its running time, it's doubly awful to watch it self-destruct in the last reel thanks to a profoundly stupid plot twist."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 231 words, 08/23/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (6 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: MODERATE "Too bad the movie isn't livelier. The concept is schematic and predictable, and watching first-rate actors doing third-rate material is a dubious pleasure."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 192 words, 08/24/12
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...an eager-to-please story... while the filmmakers are willing to show Frank's vulnerability, they keep pushing him onto safer ground."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 626 words, 08/17/12
Ian Buckwalter, NPR: VERY GOOD "...subdued, tempered with real poignancy.... Langella effortlessly conveys the complexity of Frank's anger and confusion even when playing a scene for laughs."(See all of Ian Buckwalter's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 724 words, 08/23/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...as unlikely as it is irresistible... Engagingly written and exceptionally polished for a first-time effort... has enough surprises and twists to keep us involved to the very end."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 768 words, 08/24/12
Dana Stevens, Slate: VERY GOOD "...about the complicated relationship between a thief and his mechanized sidekick.... a rueful and funny reflection on aging, death, parenthood, and technology..."(See all of Dana Stevens's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 536 words, 08/17/12
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: VERY GOOD "...not about the mysteries within mechanical brains but the mysteries within our own... paints a distinctively witty and faintly troubling picture of an Earthbound future..."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,042 words, 08/16/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
John Anderson, Daily Variety: VERY GOOD "...emotionally genuine... a gracefully constructed metaphor about memory adds a bittersweet angle to a story that's half sci-fi and half shaggy dog."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 540 words, 01/22/12
John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "...light-touch comedy.... a crowd-pleaser.... Christopher Ford's script helps, giving Frank a sharp-eyed curiosity... First-time director Jake Schreier has fun here..."(See all of John DeFore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 371 words, 01/22/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: EXCELLENT "...as unlikely as it is irresistible... Engagingly written and exceptionally polished for a first-time effort... has enough surprises and twists to keep us involved to the very end."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 768 words, 08/24/12
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...an eager-to-please story... while the filmmakers are willing to show Frank's vulnerability, they keep pushing him onto safer ground."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 626 words, 08/17/12
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: MODERATE "Too bad the movie isn't livelier. The concept is schematic and predictable, and watching first-rate actors doing third-rate material is a dubious pleasure."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 192 words, 08/24/12
14.7 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Robot & Frank's reviews are separated by an average 14.7 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Robot & Frank (39 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Robot & Frank's reviews cover 75.8% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 18,152 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 465 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 15.2 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Robot & Frank's reviews on average broke 15.2 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Robot & Frank's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Robot & Frank (39 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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