Robot & Frank

Recently, Wednesdays have become film night for me. Last week it was Lore and before that Lincoln, but tonight I went to see Robot & Frank after being intrigued by the trailers. Tricky things to judge, trailers. Sometimes you can react with an instant yes or no. Sometimes, as here, almost anything is possible. In this case, I really enjoyed the film. It's a very skillful combination of buddy movie, science fiction piece and meditation about memory and ageing. If like me you spent a lot of your teens reading Asimov's robot stories, then you will instantly recognise the good doctor's rules being applied. As far I remember, there isn't an Asimov story about a robot being persuaded to assist in a jewel heist on the grounds that it is good for its owner's health, but I bet he'd have used it if he thought of it. The film does rather run out of steam towards the end. Having posed lots of questions it doesn't really resolve anything and ends on a slightly false note. I can't help thinking how well Stanley Kubrick would have made it (yes, that's true of a lot of films, but you know what I mean).