David Traversa I won't criticize this movie, since others had done it superbly. It's just a couple of issues I'm interested in. First one: I find praiseworthy to make a movie with very old people. The world population in general is getting older, and even so, we continue to avoid the issue. We are terrified by old age. But if we continue to live, we'll get there, whether we like it or not. So, better start to face reality, the sooner, the better. This issue is so very well presented with the character of the gaffer (Christopher Plummer) and the script writer, that it gives you the creeps. Their loneliness (old folks become invisible to society), their aimlessness in life (they lost their jobs to retirement without finding a healthy replacement for it), and all of a sudden, by chance, this young boy comes across their sunken lives (elderly homes) and gets them to help him to make a 10 minutes movie. All of a sudden, people that were almost growing moss out of their ears, become alive, they have a motif to live for now!! the whole bunch of elderly people starts making projects, and with their lifelong experience in their profession, they put together a remarkable film (the producer --Robert Wagner-- is very impressed with the final result). Now, the painful question: The 10 minutes film is done, are these old folks going back to their miserable living at the elderly home? wouldn't it have been better for them that the young man never came their way? after all, they were resigned to that life. But now what? This question makes me think that EUTANASIA should be legalized so when we decide that enough is enough, we can take our own life, at the precise moment we think it's better.

JoeytheBrit Spoilers.Films like this are so well-meaning and full of enthusiasm for their subject matter that you almost feel guilty for not liking them as much as you know the makers want you to. Writer and director Michael Schroeder hits on a really neat idea about a bunch of retired below-the-line filmmakers having their lives enriched by the opportunity to help a high school student called Cameron make his 10-minute student film, but diminishes its impact with a little too much sentimentality, some plot strands that go nowhere and no small amount of predictability.Christopher Plummer, looking not unlike an ageing John Huston, plays 'Flash' Madden, a former gaffer now reduced to drunkenly yelling at the screen and arguing with other customers at a run-down revival cinema. Madden was given his nickname by no less a legend than Orson Welles, but he represents the unglamorous side of the industry: the underpaid, overworked and unappreciated crew members nobody knows – not even movie buffs – whose countless movie credits count for nothing as they languish in an industry retirement home, forgotten or abandoned by their families. Madden's date of birth is shown as 1920, and the film is set in the present day, meaning he and his buddies are all approaching 90 when the action takes place, which is stretching credibility a little, but Plummer is very good in the role of the irascible old-timer, who hides his fear of ageing and death behind an angry mask, and tries to keep it at bay with copious amounts of Wild Turkey.Once Cameron's managed to enlist the aid of Flash, they visit Mickey Hopkins (M. Emmett Walsh, who looks like one of those big old cuddly muppets these days), a washed-up writer living in a dilapidated retirement home. Seeing the conditions he lives in, Cameron drops his original idea of a man who builds a car out of vacuum cleaner parts in favour of an expose of retirement home abuse and neglect. This is the director's cue to inject a little social commentary about our throwaway society into what is essentially a fantasy tale, and a laboured sub-plot-cum-metaphor about Flash's dream of releasing captive dogs into a park to enjoy one last moment of freedom before they're rounded up and put to sleep.The film is OK, and it's packed with movie references which should keep the buffs interested, but it feels a little disjointed at times. There are some surprisingly effective scenes, but characters drift in and out, and Flash's big hissy fit seems manufactured for dramatic effect rather than part of a realistic character arc. That he will die before the little film is screened is never in doubt, as is the fact that he will die a better man for helping Cameron.

doubleo 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.

dannyid 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.