So much average

Just perfect...

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

What drew me to this movie is purely personal: every year my family goes to midcoast Maine for a week, during which we take a day trip to Monhegan Island, so I thought this flick was a great find. On showcasing Monhegan, it didn't disappoint: the cliff walks, the wrecked ship on the surf, the snug homes & trails inland--it's all there. But happily the film didn't disappoint on the plot level; in fact it seems to be quite relevant for the Trumpian times we now live in. Treat Williams does a nice job as the beleaguered & fatigued congressman. The attacks on his supposedly unpatriotic actions may have come across as hyberbolic in an earlier age, but sadly not so now. So: it works as a postcard for Monhegan as well as a thought-provoking political message.

Congressman Charlie Winship (Treat Williams) is tired of being a Congressman, drinks a lot, is undergoing a divorce and and won't stand during the Pledge of Allegiance in the House of Representatives to start the business day. There is a movement to recall him.Charlie gets invited to a small fishing town on an island that is having problems with poachers taking their lobsters. This is where he has a realization of what is important in life and comes to understand what being a Congressman is all about and he is determined to help the town.This is too simple a plot and we needed something more to sustain us. The acting is good all around; and the solutions to the poaching problems were telegraphed from the very beginning. So we just sat back and enjoyed the cinematography, which was very good. There could have been more drama regarding the Recall effort. There could have been more conflicts with the poachers, but all we got was a fishing boat being blown up. Notables: Elizabeth Marvel as Rae, Charlie's romantic interest on the fishing island; George Hamilton as Laird Devereaux who is the prime force to recall Charlie.We were concerned how Charlie would get himself out of being recalled for not standing during the Pledge of Allegiance in the House. This came to be the twist we hoped for. (5/10)Violence: Yes. A bloody nose on a basketball court and a fishing boat exploding. Sex: No. Sex: No. Language: Yes and much of it seemed forced.

"The Congressman" is a feel-good film with a little romance sprinkled in with politics.Treat Williams seeks to channel Jimmy Stewart in the 1939 classic "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." In this case, Williams plays Rep. Charlie Winship, a workaholic congressman who may be run out of office by his rivals.Winship recharges his batteries in a visit to a tranquil island off the coast of Maine. He will fight for the rights of the beleaguered fishing community and fall in love on the island.But the most intriguing relationship in the film is that of Winship and his young protégé Jared Barnes (Ryan Merriman). Barnes gains some of the wisdom of Winship in the course of the action. Like the Jimmy Stewart film, "The Congressman" includes a heartfelt patriotic speech delivered effectively by Williams.While not a great film, "The Congressman" includes a good set of characters and beautiful scenery on the island and the seascape of Maine.

I LOVED this film! LOVED IT!!!!! Treat Williams is one to watch in this -- He is FANTASTIC -- every move, every look, every word, every silence -- superb! His embodiment of this character is beyond experienced -- rich and honorable, experienced, yet fresh. Don't be fooled by the title -- if you're tired of 'politics,' this is actually refreshing and inspiring. A wonderful film with quality and value. I loved the entire cast -- I felt like they literally went to Maine and just hired the actual people on that island!! Authentic to the core. Chris Conroy as "Ben" reminded me of early James Dean -- I could not take my eyes off of him -- I was intrigued, riveted, and mesmerized every minute he was on screen. Such unique and subtle strength, tender and magnetic. He was fantastic. I fell in love with him. Ryan Merriman's scene in the bathtub is stellar!! I wasn't crazy about him at the top of the film, but as his character expanded, so did my appreciation and attraction to his performance. I enjoyed the ride he took me on. Perfect. His 'reveal' was brilliantly executed. The scene with Treat and Elizabeth as husband and wife, was so so very beautiful -- tender and true. They had us really sitting IN the room with this longtime couple that had LIVED and LOVED -- no acting, just the epitome of authentic. I just loved EVERYTHING about this film -- I did not want the characters to leave Maine, because I did not want to leave Maine!! This production captured the essence of Maine perfectly -- breathtakingly beautiful, grounded, timeless, hearty, unpretentious. Treat's speech at the end is glorious. I can't type fast enough or find enough adjectives to capture how this film made me FEEL -- I can write my thoughts, yes, but I need rare words to describe the feelings. Such a beautiful and powerful film in such a tender and honest way. I loved it. To be appreciated by every generation.