Man in the Chair (2007) Reviews

• Truly Moving Picture

  tollini2007-09-20

  I am a judge for the Indianapolis-based Heartland Film Festival. This feature film is a Crystal Heart Award Winner and is eligible to be the Grand Prize Winner in October of 2007. The Heartland Film Festival is a non-profit organization that honors Truly Moving Pictures. A Truly Moving Picture "…explores the human journey by artistically expressing hope and respect for the positive values of life." This is a story of two unusual and non-conformist people. The first is a curmudgeon or surly old man, played by Christopher Plummer, and the second is a troubled high school junior. What they have in common is that they live in the same neighborhood in L.A. and they love movies, especially old classics. The old man used to be a gaffer or electrician and made many movies at Hollywood studios, but now he is alone in the Motion Picture Residence of the Elderly. He is scruffy, a drunk, cynical, sarcastic and loudly and proudly acts badly. After he gets into an argument with patrons at a movie theater proclaiming, "I made more movies than you've been to", the junior follows him to his old age home. The junior wants to submit a short film to a contest that hopefully can get him a college scholarship. So he begins his quest to get help from the old man. The junior has serious adjustment problems. He challenges a high school gang leader and continually gets in trouble with the law for fighting and stealing. At home, he has a terrible relationship with his stepfather. However, there is a goodness and decency in these two people and they slowly and painfully bring out the best in each other. For them, the journey is more important than a successful outcome. They simply both need a purpose to their lives. The acting is remarkable and not just from Christopher Plummer, who dominates the movie. M. Emmet Walsh and Robert Wagner are particularly convincing. There are unusual, funky visuals and a hip sound track throughout the movie. They really work to hold your attention because they are such a contrast to the many elderly characters. This is a very different and very good movie. FYI – There is a Truly Moving Pictures web site where there is a listing of past Truly Moving Picture Award winners that are now either at the theater or available on video.

• A groundbreaking film with award-winning performances

  larry-4112007-01-29

  I attended the World Premiere of "Man in the Chair" at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Good films should be bold and provocative. Yet no director creates a genre out of whole cloth. There's a basic dichotomy there and it's the challenge of the filmmaker to put a new spin on an old theme. "Man in the Chair" is, on the face of it, an intergenerational coming-of-age drama. You know the drill -- young buck meets old codger, ice meets flame, and water flows happily ever after. Some commonality brings each halfway towards the other and there are likely a few laughs as well as tears along the way. But something takes place here that is unexpected. Questions are raised which have not been addressed in contemporary cinema. This is a movie with a message, and in a politically correct world where feature filmmakers feel that it's not their place to rock the boat, "Man in the Chair" dares to tackle major social issues in a surprisingly entertaining fashion. The young buck in this case is Cameron Kincaid (Michael Angarano), a high school kid with a passion for classic movies. The old codger is Glenn "Flash" Madden (Christopher Plummer), the last living crew member of "Citizen Kane." Cameron is a good kid. He just happens to do bad things. Flash is surly to bed and surly to rise, which makes him, well, surly. The two meet in a darkened theater while both while away the hours to pre-Technicolor gems of days gone by, one lamenting his past and the other dreaming of his future. But the kid has a sense of purpose -- an opportunity to win a scholarship to film school by shooting a 10 minute short. And thus begins the dance. Will the two forge a working relationship? Will it become something else? And what will be the subject of the student film, and what wonders will be discovered along the way? Those are just a few of the questions to be answered. Perhaps more important, though, are the questions raised by "Man in the Chair" -- are there people who don't matter? If there are wrongs to be made right, can anyone do it? Should we? That's a tall order for a filmmaker and writer/director Michael Schroeder accepts the challenge. The legendary Christopher Plummer shows how he got to be so. His portrayal of the aging old gaffer, whose only joys in life are Cuban cigars and Wild Turkey, is daring and heartbreaking. How the Motion Picture Academy could have overlooked him all these years is a mystery, but that could change in a "Flash," and should. It's hard to imagine how an actor as young as Michael Angarano could hold the screen with him from start to finish and have it all look so real. The fact that he does so with such ease is testament to the fact he is arguably the most sought after teenage actor in America. The Motion Picture Retirement Home is the setting for a good portion of the film (the first time a camera crew has ever been allowed to film there), where an ensemble of other Hollywood veterans put their hearts and souls into this, and it shows. M. Emmett Walsh is a standout in this and almost steals the film. I was stunned when he first appeared on screen. What he did was about the bravest thing any actor can do, particularly at his age, and his performance is breathtaking. In fact, as Schroeder explained in the Q&A, other actors turned it down because it would have broken their hearts to do the role. "Man in the Chair" has the look and feel of a cutting edge indie, with a surprisingly rockin' soundtrack that left me wanting more and dazzling visuals. Cinematographer Dana Gonzales used quadruple exposure and hand crank camera to create a look that says "special effects" but is actually all "in-camera." What you see is what was captured on film and not created digitally in a studio. To do otherwise wouldn't be true to the very subject matter, and these techniques are a tip of the hat to the first filmmakers who had nothing but their cameras and lenses to create what we see on screen. There were more than a few "whoa" moments in the theater. I sat in wonder at the creativity of this team. It's hard to imagine anyone of any age not being able to relate to this film and be moved by it. "Man in the Chair" is so groundbreaking that it has the potential to be a modern-day "Grapes of Wrath." The storyline exposes the ills of society without being preachy or heavy-handed. It tugs at the emotions like few films I've seen in recent memory. If you're not surly to bed and surly to rise you'll surely walk out with a tear in your eye. And even if you are, maybe, just maybe, you'll have a change of heart.

• Cinematic Beauty

  Saxe-Coburg-Gotha2011-05-31

  A few weeks ago a friend mine called me and told that I had to watch a film called Man in the Chair on the Sundance Channel. He said that Christopher Plummer was in it, and that was good enough for me. I had no idea that I was about to experience a film of absolute beauty. The writing, directing, acting, etc are beyond praise. Plummer expertly plays a film gaffer who has not worked since 1968 and becomes involved with a young man attempting to make a student film to enter a competition for a film school scholarship. What ensues is a film about true friendship, elder abuse, animal neglect, and the raising of the human spirit. All of the actors are superb, but special mention must be made of M. Emmet Walsh's performance of a writer who has not worked in decades. Perfection. Actually, perfection sums up this film. Thanks to all involved, especially writer/director Michael Schroeder, for this gift of a film.

• Man in the Chair, a MUST SEE film!

  romeoandkuma2007-01-20

  I am terrible at writing reviews, so I probably shouldn't be. But I will anyway because I feel so compelled to tell the world to go see this movie! It is the most beautiful film I have seen in years. This film is the reason I love to sit in a dark theater, to be engulfed by drama, to feel more human. Man in the Chair has many wonderful components that make it great. First to note, the amazing Christopher Plummer. His performance was brilliant and flawless. He always delivers a great performance but with age he seems to get even better! Next, the editing was amazing! I really liked the sped up effect (for lack of a better word) and I felt it was done in a very poetic way. I enjoyed the story itself, how we are a "throw away" society and how we discard our elderly, unlike some cultures who worship and respect them. With our "throw away" tendencies, we do the same to animals when they no longer fit our lifestyles. The disturbing animal shelter scenes tore at my heart. Being someone who rescues dogs from high kill shelters, I knew the images were the truth. The film brings attention to a real problem happening in the world with vivid depiction's of elderly neglect. I am glad this was shown in such a raw way. It's a scary reality. I loved the performance by the actor, Michael Angarano, who depicts the troubled young teenager, Cameron Kincaid. It was obvious that there was true chemistry between him and Christopher Plummer, who plays Flash Madden, a ticked off old man who drinks his sorrows away. Flash is a retired film industry Gaffer, and Cameron tries to recruit him to work on his student film. There really are many great things to mention about this film. There are some great moments of humor, like in the elderly home... but I won't spoil the surprise! Without writing an entire novel, I simply want to say that if you love movies, keep an eye out for this one. It is truly a must see. As you can tell, I absolutely loved it! The world should experience it's magic as well. I really hope this becomes, "The Little Indie Movie That Could." Chuga chug chug...

• One of the best films I've seen, an Oscar contender!

  sdhak2007-05-01

  Hello, I saw your movie a few weeks ago at the Kent Film Festival in Kent, CT, and I can't stop raving about it. No kidding, it is up there as probably one of the best films I have ever seen. I am wondering why it has not become a major box office hit, and why it is not "out there" in circulation. I believe in the power of film to change the world, and the message in this film for young and the aging alike was powerful. Please tell me how I can go about getting a copy of this so I can share with with others. Bravo!! I am guessing that Christopher Plummer will be nominated for an academy award. He certainly deserves it. I cannot wait to see this film at the box office. Susan Hackel