A police procedural, and more...
Frank Perry’s career as director wasn’t as prolific as many of his contemporaries, yet he turned out a variety of films including “The Swimmer,” “Diary of a Mad Housewife,” and “Mommie Dearest.” In “Man on a Swing,” Perry explores the murder of a young woman from an unusual  point of view.<br /><br />The film opens with the discovery of a body in a car in a shopping center parking lot. Police Chief Lee Tucker (Cliff Robertson) examines the crime scene and finds a young girl’s open-eyed corpse stuffed into the front passenger side of a Volkswagen. The police turn up no leads or suspects, but an unsolicited phone call changes the course of the investigation.<br /><br />The phone call is from Franklin Wills (Joel Grey), who claims to be a psychic and says he sensed the police were looking into a serious case and feels he can be of help. As Wills speaks, he reveals extensive knowledge of confidential information related to the girl’s murder. Amazed, Chief Tucker asks Wills to come to the station.<br /><br />Tucker assigns Wills to assist in the investigation, though his unorthodox manner and techniques are far removed from standard police practice. The cops take a back seat since Wills appears to be getting results. The initial murder investigation gives way to Tucker’s increasing focus on the psychic and whether he’s actually clairvoyant or perhaps involved in the killing. Tucker cannot dismiss Wills’ ability to know things that stymie the police, yet he is skeptical and suspicious of the man.<br /><br />Though Robertson is top-billed, “Man on a Swing” in Grey’s picture. As Wills increasingly dominates the investigation, Joel Grey dominates the film. The role offers opportunities to convey a range of emotions to make the character more enigmatic, but Grey, with Perry’s blessing, goes the route of BIG with little nuance or shading. Director Perry starts with an interesting premise but nearly sabotages the film with a lugubrious pace and outrageous overacting by Grey, who contorts his face, spins around, slams into walls, falls to the floor, and stares into space as his character appears to communicate with the dead girl’s spirit.<br /><br />In contrast, Robertson underplays his role, making the character of the police chief so low-key that he practically blends into the scenery. There are a few at-home scenes with pregnant wife Janet (Dorothy Tristan), in which she complains that Lee is devoting too much time to the case and not enough to her. But even there, Robertson appears detached and emotionless and simply coasts through the scenes, eliciting little sympathy for his character. When he listens to Wills’ phone call, the camera is on him a lot, but as Wills continues to surprise Tucker with details, Robertson never changes his expression. He simply takes it all in as if Wills is reading a recipe.<br /><br />With this dialogue-heavy movie, director Perry depends on performance and the screenplay to be enough to sustain attention. The lack of action is a detriment, and Perry fails to exploit cinematic possibilities for greater visual variety. The picture might as well have been a stage play. Because Perry never gives the film spark, the interesting premise is sidetracked by lackadaisical technique.<br /><br />Bonus materials on the unrated Imprint Blu-ray release include the following:<br />Audio commentary by film historian/filmmaker Daniel Kremer<br />Audio commentary by film historian/filmmaker Howard S. Berger and Frank Perry archivist Justin Bozung<br />“Other Worlds” - Joel Grey on acting and “Man on a Swing” (12:14)<br />“Schifrin on a Swing” - featurette with film music historian Daniel Schweiger discussing Lalo Schifrin’s music score (12:52)<br />“The Show Must Go On: Frank Perry & The Framing of the American Dreamland” - video essay by Howard S. Berger and Kevin Marr (41:07)<br /><br />Frank Perry’s direction in “Man on a Swing” is bland and unremarkable.  The film is dominated by Joel Grey’s exaggerated, mannered performance. Grey had won an Academy Award for his performance in “Cabaret” two years earlier, which accounts for his landing such a showcase role. What may have been a captivating portrayal of an enigmatic psychic in “Man on a Swing” when initially released today looks self-indulgent.
The movie title "Man on a Swing," available on Movies & TV, has received an average rating of 4.2 from 41 reviewers. 
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 {"Genre": "Mystery & Suspense", "Format": "Import", "Contributor": "Bruce French, Howard B. Jaffe, Joel Grey, Richard Venture, Shawn Campbell, Beau Flynn, Christopher Allport, Clarence Felder, Nicholas Pryor, Ronald Weyand, Gil Gerard, Richard Dryden, Lane Smith, Clarice Blackburn, Alice Drummond, Ron Weyand, Benjamin Slack, Cliff Robertson, Brendan Fay, Joe Ponazecki, Diane Hull, Peter Masterson, Josef Sommer, Elizabeth Wilson, Dorothy Tristan, Frank Perry, Charlotte Huggins, Stanley Jaffe, Patricia Hawkins, Tripp Vinson, George Voskovec, John Miller, Penelope Milford, Roy Mason, Dianne Hull, Richard McKenzieBruce French, Howard B. Jaffe, Joel Grey, Richard Venture, Shawn Campbell, Beau Flynn, Christopher Allport, Clarence Felder, Nicholas Pryor, Ronald Weyand, Gil Gerard, Richard Dryden, Lane Smith, Clarice Blackburn, Alice Drummond, Ron Weyand, Benjamin Slack, Clif\u2026  See more", "Package Dimensions": "6.77 x 5.43 x 0.67 inches; 3.53 Ounces", "Director": "Frank Perry", "Media Format": "Import", "Release date": "May 6, 2022", "Actors": "Ron Weyand, Cliff Robertson, Dorothy Tristan, Dianne Hull, Richard Dryden", "Producers": "Stanley Jaffe, Beau Flynn, Tripp Vinson, Howard B. Jaffe, Charlotte Huggins", "Studio": "Imprint", "Number of discs": "1"}

Here is a brief synopsis of the title : A small-town police chief investigating a murder is offered help by a self-described psychic. However, when the chief discovers that the "psychic" is in possession of information known only to the police, he suspects that the man may be more involved in the case than he let's on. "Man on A Swing is a beautifully complex thriller with overtones of the occult & undertones of terror" - New York Magazine Underrated cult thriller from the 70's. Special Features and Technical Specs: 1080p High-definition presentation NEW Audio Commentary by film historian/filmmaker Daniel Kremer Aspect Ratio 1.78:1 Audio English LPCM 2.0 Stereo Optional English subtitles Limited Edition slipcase on the first 1500 copies with unique artwork.