The veteran actor Frank Langella gives a superb performance, taking on aging and dementia in new comedy, Robot and Frank, reports The Huffington Post.
The new comedy features Langella, 74, as an ex-cat burglar who lives in a sleepy suburban town just outside New York. Set in the not too distant future, small robot helpers, akin to those in Star Wars, rather than i-Robot, are an everyday occurrence. Langella's character recreates his more mischievous days on a small scale by plundering small items from the local shop, and of course, keeping his libido active by flirting with the town's librarian. Primarily a comedy, the film does touch on a serious note, with Frank's character, also called Frank, suffering from the infancy of dementia. But by all accounts, the issue is handled delightfully. Conflict arises as to whether Frank needs help: a constant source of laughs throughout. James Marsden and Liv Tyler star as his offspring.
Langella has enjoyed a long and successful career in acting. He is perhaps best known for playing Dracula, both on Broadway and in a 1979 movie, and more recently, his portrayal of Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon won him a Toni Award for the Broadway version, and an Oscar nomination for the Cinematic. Robot and Frank opened in New York last weekend and will be playing to wider audiences across U.S on Friday. It hit's UK cinemas in March, 2013.