Ruth & Alex

Written and directed by Charlie Peters and Richard Loncraine, respectively, "Five Flights Up" is an amiable and low-keyed urban comedy about an aging couple reluctantly selling the New York apartment they've lived in for forty years. Though Ruth sees this as an opportunity to start a new chapter in their lives, Alex, a seemingly only moderately successful painter, fights to hold onto the place, making subtle little efforts to sabotage the sale.

Diane Keaton and Morgan Freeman make for very pleasant company indeed, and, while the movie's insights into aging, relationships and end-of-life downsizing aren't exactly earth-shattering, they are certainly more than we customarily get from romantic comedies set at the opposite end of the age spectrum. Yet, while it acknowledges the troubles that come with aging, the film happily doesn't fixate on them to the exclusion of all else.

Above all, the movie shows how hard it can be to leave a home and a neighborhood after a lifetime spent setting down roots there.

And anyone who's ever endured the bureaucratic nightmare involved in buying and selling a home will find much to relate to in the movie.

Not sure how you can consider it as a pointless plot...instead it reflects life and its complexity in the reality of little (and no so little) daily things. I loved it...

"5 Flights up" is an easy-going film about an old married couple (Alex and Ruth) who came to the conclusion that after living in that part of Brooklyn for about 40 years, where they bought a cozy apartment, the time came to leave all this behind and find another place to live. For all sorts of reasons. First, the neighborhood is no longer as it was before and is engulfed by a younger generation. And also the lack of a lift became a daily obstacle for the house owner and their old dog. Eventually, they decide to sell their apartment and they leave this in the hands of a niece who knows the tricks in this business. And before they realize it, their apartment is occupied by potential buyers who can be divided into several categories: candidates who are determined to seize this unique opportunity with both hands, the yuppies who want to redesign the entire floor, the real estate tourists who just come their to watch television and eat some snacks and even someone who's always trying out the bed. Alex doesn't feel at home anymore, despite it's still his own apartment and it's not even sold yet.

For the two protagonists alone, I necessarily wanted to see this movie. Not that I'm a big fan of Diana Keaton, who usually plays a corny, traditional mother in some romantic comedy where someone is getting married once again (a film such as "The Big Wedding"). Although I could appreciate her performance in "The Family Stone", even though she played again the mother hen. But "5 Flights up" was perfect for her. A serene and formal older woman who even in the most hectic and stressful situations, remains calm. She's hardened by the past when she made the decision to marry an Afro-American. Compared to that every setback is just peanuts.

I was particularly curious about how Morgan Freeman would play his part. After a succession of meaningless roles in both brilliant films as soon-to-be-forgotten films, like "Olympus Has Fallen", "Oblivion", "Now you see me", "Last Vegas", "Transcendence", "Lucy" and "Last Knights", it was once again time for this brilliant actor to being featured in an entire movie. And he lived up to my expectations. Flawlessly he acquitted himself of his task : the spouse who's still in love with his wife after all these years, the cheerful artist who rather withdraws into his studio while strangers are wandering through his flat, the worried owner of a pet that needs medical assistance (no matter what it costs) and the resolute decision maker who ultimately decides about what's rightfully his. Formidable performance.

Only the script is kind of dull to keep things interesting. Admittedly, the situations arising from the sale are frequently humorous and engaging. But a whole film just about selling an apartment with on the one hand the financial advantage and on the other hand a pile of memories that needs to be left behind, is still only limited material to work with. The message that this film conveys is that money can't replace nostalgic musings and feelings. A sunrise is nowhere the same and you'll have to forget certain habits and situations from the past. It's beautifully imaged with flashbacks that don't seem to be disturbing, with a touch of melancholy and sadness on top. A smile and a tear. But just as in real life, selling a house isn't particularly exciting and entertaining. That was for me the only downside of it all. But Freeman starring back again like this after a long time, made it bearable.

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It is so refreshing to watch a film with a contemporary story that focuses on older people and their choices and strengths instead of seeing them act foolish or pathetic. Based on Jill Ciment's book as adapted for the screen by Charlie Peters and directed with straightforward good taste by Richard Loncraine, this quiet little film is a wonderful platform for tow of our most respected actors – 69 year old Diane Keaton and 78 year old Morgan Freeman – who create an irresistible chemistry.

Briefly, long-time happily married couple Ruth and artist Alex Carver (Keaton and Freeman) who've spent their lives together in the same New York apartment become overwhelmed by personal and real estate-related issues when they plan to move away, having decided to cash in on their sought-after Brooklyn apartment. The story opens with one of the reasons they feel the need to move after 40 years in the '5 flights up' apartment with no elevator: their little dog Dorothy is having difficulty maneuvering the stairs and ends up with a slipped vertebral disc that requires a Vet's expertise and surgery. They engage Ruth's niece, real estate agent Lily (Cynthia Nixon, who is wonderfully, gushingly obnoxious) and the visits to the apartment begin – all manner of rather despicable lookie-loos traipse through and a decision must be made. Ruth and Alex find an apartment in Manhattan that is one the 9th floor and has an elevator, but issues arise that make them alter their initial decision.

Beautifully understated is the fact that Ruth and Alex are childless, entered an interracial marriage when it was not fashionable to do so, and have grown old together making every day count. They are wonderful and the film does them justice. It is such a pleasure to see two seasoned and gifted actors make such an impressive statement.

Recommended for all those who think happiness is dependent on social media based.

Ruth & Alex are getting a little long in the tooth to handle the stairs to the apartment they bought when they were young. So they feel pressured to buy a new place.

This is exactly what happens. Expect no drama, no twists, no confrontations or hilarious antics. You really are just watching Morgan Freeman and Diane Keaton buy a new house.

When the flash backs of their youth come they are fleeting and sparse.

Enjoyment of this movie depends greatly on the viewers mind-set. If you are feeling fragile or in the mood for something very gentle and subtle (this is as gentle and subtle as it gets)with out a hint of danger or drama then this is for you. If you are looking for something more (anything more) this is probably going to feel very, very long.

Great production, acting, the characters are interesting and endearing - but be prepared NOTHING happens.