This is How Movies Should Be Made

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

I want to say this is a fantastic film. If you care about people you will like this film. If you've ever been a teenager so passionate about a contest that you will steal a car to win: you will love this film. If you've ever been the BEST at what you do only to get pushed aside you will totally understand this film. A kind of buddy picture - two fellows with brains and a way of getting on each other's nerves that keeps pushing them forward until they finally reach their goal. They are both from the edges of California society where the real people live. The filming takes your right into the world of a California high school boy and his family even when he ends up a waiting cell and even when he makes friends with a whole group of heroes he never imagined were still alive. He figures having the best living movie makers on your team can only help. And they are amazing.

Despite a compelling theme, some truly sparkling dialogue, and terrific performances by misters Plummer, Wagner, and Walsh, this film comes across rather uneven. The direction is heavy-handed, at times bordering on trite, the production design doesn't contribute much, and the photography is pretentious and annoying -- more appropriate to a music video, than a heartfelt drama. An older, more experienced DP could've made this infinitely more watchable! The script has a lot of potential, but could have, definitely, used another re-write (or two) and a bit of patching of some truly gaping holes, before going into production. The editing is, likewise, uninspired -- most of the shots linger a couple of beats too long, making the overall pace just tedious enough to lose tension.

I saw this film at the Stony Brook Film Festival. The crowd was over 1000 strong and the standing ovation was even stronger. Christopher Plummer, Michael Angarano and M. Emmet Walsh are fantastic. If you don't love this movie, then you don't love movies. Christopher Plummer, M. Emmet Walsh, Michael Schroeder, producer Sarah Schroeder and editor, Terry Cafaro took part in the Q & A that followed. They had the crowd eating out of their hands. Plummer, always so debonair (unlike his Flash character) and Walsh kept the crowd laughing. The film left me filled with imagery, poetry and hope. Michael Schroeder said he didn't make a film reform nursing home neglect, he just wanted folks to leave the theater and call their grandparents to remind them that the mattered in their lives. With such touching performances how can you resist. Kudos to Writer/Director, Michael Schroeder and his talented film team; they really knocked this one out of the park. You'll hear more about MAN IN THE CHAIR at Oscar time and deservedly so.

I also attended the World Premiere of "Man in the Chair" at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.Authentic and revealing. A rare glimpse at the once upon a time glamour; when the curtains come down. Michael Angarano is once again the ringmaster that leads you through the story; through the darkness and heartrending topics that the film explores, Michael's showmanship and charisma is like a lighthouse beacon; keeping you grounded with his dramatic performance.With Depth: from the shallow end to the deep end. There are several dyads created quickly. But the performances were powerful. And the bond between Christopher and Michael compel a realistic richness that is uncanny and common. As I compare this bond to the quick relationships I've seen created between college students and eccentric college professors on the first day of class, who become the teacher's favorite. I just wonder if Michael worked and researched this concept just like Catherine Hardwicke said Michael worked hard to prepare for his role in "Lords of Dogtown", or if it just came natural.I felt the film was definitely worth seeing, powerful performances add to this rarely talked about subject.