May Film Discussion
Watch and Discuss
Robot & FrankThis month's Film Society discussion we will about Robot and Frank. This Alfred P. Sloan Award winner was directed by Jake Schreier and written by Christopher Ford. This was the first full length feature film for both writer and director, and was a favorite at the Sundance Film Festival. The Alfred P. Sloan Award is given annually to a film that depicts science, technology, or math or has a character that is a scientist, engineer, or mathematician. We hope that this quirky little gem, will win your heart and mind. And there is much to discuss about a film like this.
Set in the near future, an aging ex-convict named Frank (Frank Langella, in a remarkable performance) lives alone and is experiencing increasingly serious mental deterioration and dementia. Frank's son Hunter (James Marsden), an attorney with a family of his own, grows tired of making weekly visits to his father's home, but is reluctant to put his father into full time care, so he purchases a robot companion (voiced by Peter Sarsgaard), which is programmed to provide Frank with therapeutic care, including a fixed daily routine and cognitive enhancing activities like gardening. This is one buddy film, you won't want to miss.
Watch & Discuss
This month, the Film Society will engage in discussions about the themes of this movie. The enjoyment of the films we watch can be enhanced by thinking more deeply about them and participating in discussions both online and at our monthly meeting. Everyone is invited to participate in these discussions with us. Please join us and engage in thoughtful discussion about this film right here.
Questions for Discussion
Please leave your comments regarding these questions and any thoughts about the movie you'd like to discuss or share in the Comment Box below.
1. The film is set "in the near future" but we never really know when. How is our present technology enhanced to be "futurized" just a bit, to keep the feel of the film as "present-day" as possible?
2. Why do you think it is important for this story to be in the present day?
3. What current social or cultural trends does this film portray or satirize?
4. The film plays with film genres. How many genres of movie do you find in this film?
5. What do you think about robot helpers? Is this a viable way to utilize technology effectively?
6. Is it possible to have a relationship with a device that has no sentience? Does this require redefining the term "relationship"? Does this require a redefinition of sentience?
References
Robot & Frank on IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1990314/
Robot & Frank: vision of the future? interview with the director in The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/mar/08/robot-and-frank-vision-future
Movie Trailer
© Copyright Swank Motion Pictures, Inc.
Image Credits
http://www.thefilmbrief.com/2012/09/tuesday-trailer-robot-and-frank/
http://www.parentalguide.org/movieratingsguide.html
The group was a small one, but the film discussion was a lively one. There were 5 patrons participating in the discussion of the film. Several themes were brought out by the group that were not on the question list, which stimulated further conversation.
ReplyDeleteThe first was the idea of using robots as healthcare providers. There were both pros and cons discussed about the issue of being tended to by a robot. The de-humanization issue is an old one, but the counterpoint to that is that the robot isn't distracted by other patients, or personal issues. So would your monitoring be better with a robot? What do you think?
The second issue was the memory loss issue. One of the themes running through the movie was that of memory loss. Frank was loosing his memory and was reluctant to admit it, even though he seemed to understand at times that his memory was failing. The robot engaged Frank in activities that would help build or maintain his memory. Of course, robots have excellent memories, and the issue of wiping the robots memory became a serious one. Frank was reluctant to wipe the memory of his robot, most likely because he realized the importance of keeping your memories intact.
Leave your discussion comments about this movie, or join us in our next discussion.