Man in the Chair
IFC Films | Release Date: December 7, 2007 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
44
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 12 Critic Reviews
Positive:
2
Mixed:
7
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
70
The Hollywood ReporterRay Bennett
A ramshackle but likeable story. Read full review
63
Chicago TribuneTasha Robinson
By salvaging a troubled script with deep, committed, touching portrayals, Plummer and Walsh help prove Schroeder’s points about how Hollywood isn’t just the province of the rich, young and pretty. Read full review
60
VarietyRobert Koehler
As a showcase for rising young star Michael Angarano and Christopher Plummer, pic offers the pleasures of connecting Hollywood traditions and generations in the spirit of Peter Bogdanovich's films about and inspired by the movies. Read full review
60
The New York TimesStephen Holden
Man in the Chair has few surprises. Once its machinery is humming, it settles into a soothing fable of a last hurrah. Read full review
50
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
We'll overlook the clichéd predictability of their partnership and note that Plummer, and M. Emmet Walsh as his lonely friend, are a pleasure to watch. Read full review
50
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
With its flashy, music-video style edits, rock-scored montages and septuagenarian cast, it’s hard to say who, exactly, is the right audience for this unusual comedic drama. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesStaff (Not credited)
Though they can't transcend writer-director Michael Schroeder's pointed contrivances, the actors tap into something achingly true in this valentine to Hollywood's below-the-line crafts people and society's castoffs. Read full review
40
Village VoiceNick Pinkerton
Walsh and Plummer are obviously pros, and they hustle to put across some patently ridiculous business, but, well, it's true about the polishing thing. Read full review
40
EmpireDamon Wise
As in Cocoon, the emphasis is on sentiment, feel-good and reclaiming the elderly from the scrapheap. But the performances are nowhere near as subtle. Read full review
38
New York PostKyle Smith
It's a cute idea that a better filmmaker than writer-director Michael Schroeder could have done a lot with. Read full review
38
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The movie works so hard at juggling its cliches that it fails to generate interest in its story. Read full review
30
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
This indie drama spends a lot of time mooning over classical Hollywood cinema, but its own visual style tends toward the pointless flash of music videos. Read full review
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