UnowPriceless hyped garbage

Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

Borgarkeri A bit overrated, but still an amazing film

Staci Frederick Blistering performances.

ElMaruecan82 It all started with the thought-provoking "Seven Up", from a very socially loaded channel, and was meant to showcase the shift between children from upper and lower classes and how their future would be conditioned by their background. LikeApted pointed out in his wonderful chat with Roger Ebert, it's only after the "21" episode that it stopped being about politics, but something of a more existential level.But each episode has its charm, a charm that depends on personal memories and age, whether a viewer is younger or older than these kids or guys will create a totally different experience, but no age will ever diminish its value, because we can all relate to any of their struggle or doubts or exhilaration as youngsters, their period of doubts and questioning as adults.And in my recent review, I complained that the format felt a bit repetitive but that was because the documentary was made for TV at a time where a few viewers had access to the previous episodes, the editing was indispensable and this is why I waited a little before watching "49".But I couldn't wait for too long because I also love the real time travel the film provides and as a viewer told Apted, he could watch all the episodes in one day and it was like a metaphysical experience. I believe so and I understand why Ebert put it in his Top 10 movies of all time, it IS an experience, but now I feel like a broken record because I kept praising the documentary. I think this 7th episode is perhaps the best (which is appropriate, right?). I loved it because it was nicely conclusive about the subjects, without meaning it was the end of the journey, but they all seemed happy or at least contented.As usual, it starts with the most contented of all, Tony. Tony is perhaps the best thing about the documentary, I used to say Nick because he was the eternal question mark and a sort of cliffhanger, but Tony defied the odds... Apted admitted he thought he'd had the makings of a criminal, Tony's evolution proved him to never take anything for granted. Basically, Tony did everything, he was a jockey, at least he tried, his job as a cab driver allowed him to buy a house, he took acting courses, had small TV roles. And now, we see him leaving Britain for Spain, because, as he says, the East Side has totally changed, and became too ethnic for his own liking, as he admits it honestly, he feels like a traditionalist. Was I angry at him? No. Did I think it was racist? No. That's the key of the film, I have followed this kid from the start and I could get his point precisely because I followed his evolution and the way Britain evolved. Now, Tony thinks he's paid enough wages, lives in Spain and predicts a collapse of the economy... for someone who never studied, he showcases a real astute thinking. It is even more troubling that John, one of the posh kids, agrees with him indirectly. His conservative views were in-character but I didn't mind because I was glad he was participating this time, for some reason, I've always regarded him as one of the show's most instantly recognizable faces, because he really knows how to occupy the screen, he's a snob but quite a scene stealer. He's still indecisive about politics, if he had half Tony's spirit, he'd have been Prime Minister. Some others were less ambitious and are just enjoying the time they had with their family and spouses and it was a nice touch to show Paul and Simon reuniting after 28 years, they both have changed, less hair, more weight (who didn't?) but the eyes don't lie, they still have that sparkle and that smile. Suzie was there, too and smiling as usual, saddened by the fact that her children left the house empty. It is possible that we wouldn't see her in the next episode because she felt she came to a closure. I don't know if I would take her words too seriously, if there's one thing I've learned from "Up" is that you should never say never. But there was more in that episode than the usual vignettes on each others' lives, the tone has changed too.I noticed how more confident they all speak to Apted, Apted is 15 years older than them, which doesn't mean much now. There is an extraordinary exchange with Jackie where she finally opened her feelings about a nasty question Apted asked in the "21" and how bad she felt about it, smelling some preconceived ideas about lower class girls, she held quite a grudge against him. It took almost three decades to settle that record and you can tell that some people need time to finally vent their feelings, well, time is the one luxury the documentary can afford. And I guess Apted might have regretted his bold question from the start, but he's supposed to evolve as well, he's the last subject of the documentary. He also evolved in the making, the digital format allowing him to get more footage, but since he didn't want to fall in a trap of contextualization, he avoided asking timely questions because their lives spoke enough statements.. Tony mocked the posh kids at the age of seven, together would almost share the same views in 2005, that says a lot. As for the ones I didn't mention, Neil is still unmarried but is a more eloquent politician, he doesn't see Bruce anymore, Bruce has children, better late than never, Nick went through a divorce but remarried, it's all about ups and downs but the thrills of life is to find in the downs the sources... of "Ups".

Martin Teller I watched Ebert's interview with Apted on the DVD, and I noticed that Ebert's love for the series seems almost entirely about the concept of the thing as a whole. He rarely mentions specific moments or elements of the individual films that excite him. Yes, it is a "noble" endeavor, and one that I'm glad exists, but really, the films on their own are mostly pretty dull. Here we have everything settling into middle age, and most of them quite comfortably. Good for them, but what's in it for me? I don't really need to hear about the mundane professions your kids have taken up, or that you love your grandchildren (I kind of figured you did). It's somewhat rewarding to know that these folk have found some degree of contentment, it just doesn't make for compelling filmmaking. I could read about it in a Wikipedia article or something and have the same results. The one really interesting thing going on in this installment is that it seems to get a bit more meta. Several of the subjects address their involvement in the film, some with a measure of resentment or frustration (and maybe I'm mistaken, but I think we hear more of Apted's voice as well). These were the most rewarding parts for me.

MrGKB ...the "Up" series, or "The Up Series," or whatever you wish to call it, is not only Michael "Gorillas in the Mist" Apted's lifework, his calling card of calling cards, it's also one of the greatest documentaries produced so far. Nothing like it had come before, and all those after are but reiterations of a theme, perhaps worthy in their own right, but unlikely to outshine the progenitor of the form.Said form is multiple life histories at seven-year intervals: in this instance, fourteen British children (now reduced to twelve and possibly declining in future installments), all of whom are (as of this chapter, 2005) in their late-40s, heading into their 50s. The next meeting of the minds, so to speak, will hopefully come to pass before the supposed Mayan end of the world. I have no doubt it will be as thought-provoking and entertaining as the rest.That the series is utilized in various academic circles goes without saying; it's a time machine, a remarkably honest window on the past half-century of Western civilization, British style. Its sociological value is enormous, and it has spawned a number of similar projects examining German, Russian, American, and other populations. I hope they all have extremely long runs.Enough of the blather you'll read in any standard review of this series. What did *I* think? Well, I found it to be pretty damn fascinating. Had at best heard of it peripherally until I saw a recommendation recently from a source I respect, and so ordered up the whole ball of wax from the local library (yes, folks, your library is one of the best values your tax dollar has to pay for!), and watched it start to finish over the course of several weeks. The drawback to viewing the series in this manner is the amount of repetition of "flashback" sequences in each person's revealed timeline; occasionally it's irksome. But you come to accept the necessity of it, given the nature of the project. I suspect the series is of more interest to an older cohort for obvious reasons, which is not to say the young can't profit from it, but they'll simply have a more difficult time empathizing with it to the fullest. A stop-motion picture of aging will always appeal more to those who've been along the same path than the ones who have yet to travel it. I found myself considering my own life as if I'd lived in similar fashion. That, and I noted how easily one is drawn into the progression of these dozen-odd lives. This is "real" Reality TV, not the crap that most of you reading this have come to endure as a staple of modern entertainment.All the subjects of "The Up Series" are interesting, each in their own way, but you find yourself drawn to favorites. No doubt this is unordinary, since even Apted admits, in how he structures the later episodes, that some are more popular than others. One even wonders how this structuring itself somehow affects the viewer's perceptions of the individual; no doubt theses are being writ even as I type. Taken in large doses or small, "The Up Series" will exercise your brain and your heart, and if nothing else leave you with a better understanding of just how alike all members of the human family really are.

kangamommy I have recently watched all of the Up series, finishing with 49 Up this evening. While I have enjoyed the series and been fascinated by the people involved, I did agree with John somewhat that it's a bit like Big Brother or some other reality series. Upon talking it over with my husband, however, I find that I have misjudged it. The series does have a lasting value that is not present in entertainment based reality TV shows. What does the series teach us? Tolerance and acceptance of our own fallible judgments. We see these people at 7 and we decide what they will be doing at 21 or 35. Inevitably we're wrong on some important level. What this shows us is that we can never truly know someone, especially someone we don't have an intimate family relationship with, because we never get more than a glimpse into their inner life. At 7 I didn't like Tony. At 21 I didn't like Suzie. The only person I have admired from the beginning is Bruce. Now, at 49, I find them all interesting, individual people and I have a great deal of respect for each of them. They have made their lives something to be proud of. They bring value into the lives of their families and communities, but also to those of us who only see a tiny portion of their lives every 7 years. This isn't reality TV. This is reality- this is life being lived by real people. I hope they will continue to do the program, despite the intrusion. I hope they will understand that they do bring something more into our lives than a couple hours entertainment.