The Congressman (2016)

Don't Believe the Hype

Did you people see the same film I saw?

Admirable film.

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

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.

I won't go into where and when I watched this film, and in what town and theatre I parked my derrière but I did check this film out beforehand at IMDb.The obvious shill reviews at the time was an incredible 5 out of 6 which is usually a red flag and a valid reason to exit the turkey pen. However against all basic instincts I grabbed a copy and watched it.First of all the good signs, I never skipped through it, and I watched it all until the credits rolled. May not be a good indication to you but it is to me.The storyline is well lets just say it's not taxing, I can safely say you don't need a special talent to come up with that one.The acting was good Treat Williams especially, but to be honest George Hamilton was the only person I thought was out of place. What possessed the director when he signed him up heaven knows, the only reason I could think of maybe it was to attract the granny fan base.On my scale it's a 6/10 not a penny more and not a penny less, a nice easy going film which questions ambition over personal relationships.

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.

I am now a big fan of Treat Williams! The Congressman is worth watching just for his outstanding performance, especially the powerful speech he delivers towards the end of the movie. I cried along with several others in the audience. There are plenty of laughs especially every George Hamilton scene. Great cinematography of a spectacularly beautiful island and very good original score. I want to see more message movies like this one. In an age and culture of snark and superficiality, this movie comes through with a seemingly old fashioned message not only of values but of those American values and standards that are worth fighting for. As others have said, this is a modern Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.