Highly Overrated But Still Good

Great visuals, story delivers no surprises

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

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.

I'm not sure what I was anticipating from The Mayor. I guess I was expecting to laugh at some old folks saying some silly things and then go home, entertained. I did laugh, in actuality, very much, but there's so much more to it than that. The Mayor is deeply moving and thought provoking. It makes you consider what's important in life, what it will be like to take care of an aging loved one, and what it will be like to become elderly yourself. When it's funny, it is side-splitting. When it's touching, it does more than bring tears to your eyes. This film moves something deep within and makes for great conversation. Highly recommended!

And it works. It's fantastic and fascinating and touching and poignant and important to see because, well, maybe it's a how to book for our futures. Or a users-guide for anyone with elderly family. The Mayor challenges you as the viewer to confront your own feelings and insecurities at the thought of growing older. A scene detailing Sam's preparations for the day reaches deep inside you emotionally and requires you to bear witness to the differences between a the young and vibrant population you currently belong to, and your future. The topic of loss is presented delicately, honestly and respectfully. If a society is judged based on how it treats its elderly and infirmed, then I hope this film is exhibit A. Because we're then judged on a presentation that treats our elderly with the highest regard. Bravo!

I am a professor of mental health nursing and a Family nurse practitioner who cares for older adults...and, someone who was so fortunate to see this funny, provocative, passionate and moving film recently; it was superb! A must-see for all of us who are aging or need to remember that our parents, grandparents and patients have very full lives, an active sexuality, experience physical and emotional losses, and yet, they are essentially living well and thriving.Be enlightened, awakened and renewed by The Mayor; an extraordinary film. Dr. Susan C. Maloney, FNP-BC

It's often a foregone conclusion that the older people get, the further behind them their best years recede.In "The Mayor", director Jared Scheib's feature documentary debut, Sam Berger and a cast of fellow senior citizens provide ample evidence that while the mile markers in the rear-view mirror may be many and the sun may be setting, there's still plenty of road ahead for those with the drive to continue the journey.Filmed in a retirement community in Dallas, Texas, "The Mayor" follows the titular mayor, Sam, and his peers while yielding glimpses of the retirees' day-to-day lives.From relationships and breakfast-table gossip to the difficulty of waking and preparing to meet the day, the insights we view through the camera's lens range from mundane to uncomfortable, from hilarious to heartbreaking."The Mayor" is an unequivocally stirring and poignant piece about growing older that moved me to tears more than once.I would recommend it to any fan of cinéma vérité filmmaking, engaging observations on humanity, and charming characters.10 out of 10.