A caper film whose biggest thief is actually the inexorable flow of time, “Robot & Frank” is a terrific character study that offers the always-captivating Frank Langella the opportunity to stretch out a little bit.

Though Jake Schreier’s film, from a script by Christopher Ford, builds to a contrived climax, it offers food for thought: about the nature of friendship and the impermanence of memory. In the end, it offers a bittersweet final note, thanks to the carefully shaded performance by Langella, in his best role since the unfortunately little-seen “Starting Out in the Evening.” (More…)