Session Man

Short films usually start behind the eight ball-the reason they're ‘short' is generally lack of funds and/or lack of experience. But when you see a short film produced by Chanticleer you know you're watching a film by the very best, a company that takes pride in this medium, and excels in it.

When a short film clicks, it's poetry in motion--quick, to the point, boom, boom, boom--the story drives forward, the viewer caught up in it all.

If I've seen Session Man once, I've seen it fifty times, really--it's just that good-no nuance unexplored, or ignored, a beautiful combination of drama and music. It doesn't hurt that it's a great film about rock n roll music-what a rarity that is.

I use this film in my composition classes because it perfectly tells a compelling story and contains many issues that pertain to everyone: how does one succeed and how does one know it; does one play for the love of something or does one do it for money; what is loyalty and what is friendship; do groups exist for themselves or are they anarchists, and so on. And the music is pure, lovely, driving rock. I would give it a 10, but it is not quite at the level of a Tolstoy short story, but close. James Remar is marvelous in this brief but memorable film. Kudos to the writer and director and actors and production crew. This film brings up an important issue which is the unavailability of Short live subject films. With so much good stuff around each year, why do I have to rely on cable programs that fill dead time slots. They never advertise these items, and it was with luck I caught Session Man.

Emotional wild ride of the possibilities of joining a great rock band. Well sho, edited and casted. Based around the time of real rock band Guns N Roses were having some notable in fighting. Well worth the view if you can find it.

Where can I buy a copy of this film? I only saw it once many years ago, and being a guitar player I have never been able to get it out of my head. It's as true as true gets. Every thing about this movie speaks to those of us who struggle to justify all that we go through as musicians. Just recently events in my life have me asking the same questions that the movie illustrates. I have looked all over the internet and have been unable to find a copy of this movie for sale. You would think that being an Acadamy award winner there would be a big enough market for a film such as this. I think it speaks volumes about what it's like what we go through not only as artist, but also life itself. Thanks in advance for any help I can get in finding this film.

Mark

It's a couple of years since I last saw it, but nevertheless...

This film is simply put great. Chanticleer films have a good reputation, and that's not a coincidence! The acting in Session Man is great, the music is great (e.g. All Day And All Of The Night by the Kinks in a _great_ version), the story is great --- simply put, a well spent hour. Lean back, crank up the volume, pop a beer or something. Enjoy it!

As I've played in a rock'n'roll band, I felt my fingers actually moving when McQueen played the guitar and the music _worked_. (Musicians know what I mean here.) The finger-sync is unbelievable, and this adds too the feeling of course. Nothing is as annoying as bad finger-sync in a music film.

The story touches a musician's heart, but it goes beyond that --- it's a story with deep implications. Giving and taking, lost hopes and all that.