35 Up

The fifth chapter in the ongoing seven-year cycle of documentaries catches up with all but two of the original kids, after following their development from childhood through repressed adolescence to (mostly) hopeful young adulthood, and here to a more or less stable maturity. The changes in the past seven years are less dramatic than those revealed in '28 Up', but with each new installment the series grows more rich and provocative, and seeing the latest episode is like visiting old friends.

Some of the stories have taken surprising turns: the upper class snobbery of Andrew and John (who refused to appear in the previous film) has mellowed with age. Destitute Neil is doing community theater in the Shetland Islands. And the trio of friends (Jackie, Lynn and Sue), whose lives were the least interesting seven years earlier now each deserve their own separate film (one of them is suffering, with bitterness, from an obscure neurological disorder). Director Michael Apted's socio-political assumptions have long since fallen by the wayside; the series might have started as an experiment in social upbringing with an eye on class distinctions, but if anything the films prove that time is the great equalizer.

This was the first of the UP series that has since led onto 42 UP. for anybody who doesn't know, the series was created to document childrens attitudes and behaviour over the years. The first was entitled 7 Up (the children were 7) and ever since, every seven years the film makers return into the peoples lives to see what has changed since the last film.

The combination of the series of films from the past is interesting. We are shown what the subjects had to say seven years ago (i.e. their hopes and dreams, expectations for the future) and we actually see if the carried out those actions. One of the highlights is a section where we are shown footage from the original 7 Up, where the children were allowed to play in an adventure playground. And after seeing the lifestyle of a builder for example we are shown footage of him building a playhouse, etc.

I watched an interview of the film maker shortly after seeing 35 Up, in which he admitted that 35 Up seemed to have a very down, gloomy feeling to it. A lot of the "subjects" were at a stage in their lives when their parents were dying and various challenges were facing them.

The part of the movie that people can really sink their teeth into is one of the "subjects" who's life has taken an extremely interesting path. He developed (possibly because of his involvement in the Up series?) a number of personality disorders, and has found it difficult to lead normal life.

The film 28 Up saw him homeless and hiking his way across Britain. 35 Up sees him in a small abode, with a job, but still having difficulties in functioning normally.

The entire series is an extremely interesting project, that the subjects are lucky to have been involved in. The viewers find themselves helplessly drawn to the people and we actually start to care about what happens to them.

35 Up though is of particular interest, for this movie sets up the crossroads that most of them are undertaking. The future of the series looks like it will be extremely healthy.

The best thing i have ever seen in my life. By far. Go on my profile. Look at how many films there are. And look how many 10's. Look how many reviews i've made. Not one review since 2016. 10 10's since then. And not once have i been compelled to write a review for them. Only to hold them forever. This, i will more than hold forever. I will think of it forever. My goodness. To watch 28 up. To decide it a 10. And to then watch 35 up. And decide it in the category of it's own, the reviewed 10. Well, it says it all. It is planet earth with people and therefore the planet earth. It everything, the word "everything" here, most certainly important. It is what god intended with the moving image. Please, god, let them do 70. God, i'm a die hard. Crowdfund it, anything. Make this essential viewing. It is just amazing what we were, how we are and what we come to be. I have been looking for 35 up all my life. It would be unfair to hold it against anything. It is its own. Consider it un-rateable. Merely the feeling and impact. Unquantifiable. My one review and so utterly deserving. Never say never, but i am to perhaps never top it. In fact, i strongly believe i never will top it. For me, as far as films, movies go - well, i'd have to review another damn thing for you (if anyone) or i to know. If you are reading this; go on, have a look. See if i've reviewed anything since. If not, you have your answer. If not, it was all i ever needed to see. I'll come back to it in 7 years, though i suspect the feeling to last a lifetime.

The 'Up Series' represents one of the most fascinating and unusual uses of film in cinema history - a documentary life-long chronicle of the lives of 14 people starting at 7 years old, revisiting them every seven years through age 49 (so far).

While I could quibble, wishing for a bit more depth here and there (especially with the women, where there's a bit too much emphasis on love and marriage at the expense of all else), it's really an astounding, moving, frightening and uplifting document. There's no way to watch this remarkable series of films without reflecting deeply on one's own life, and how you have changed (and stayed the same) over your own lifetime.

While Michael Aped deserves every bit of credit he's received for this amazing piece of cultural anthropology, it's important to note this first film, 7 Up,was actually directed by Paul Almond, and Apted was a that point a researcher for the project.

Ho-hum. This is my least favorite of the series so far. Except for Neil and Bruce (doing a teaching stint in Bangladesh), there's not much going on with these people that's surprising or interesting (I do still like Nick for some reason, but his life isn't all that thrilling). A couple of divorces, a few dead parents, but nothing that special and nothing that revealing. John is back, slightly less douchey for his humanitarian work in Bulgaria, but still obviously a twit underneath. In a rather odd turn, Symon -- the one ethnic minority of the group -- doesn't even get a mention, his existence has been completely erased from the series. Hopefully this is by his own request. The larger problem here is that the recaps are starting to overwhelm the new material. Roughly half of the film, possibly more, consists of previous clips. And it's almost always the same clips, meaning there are many parts of Seven Up that I've now seen five times. Again, this is probably best for people watching one of these every seven years, but as an at-home DVD experience it's a drag. It feels like all you really need to do is watch the most recent installment and to hell with the others. And yet, I'm moving on to the next one anyway. Despite my griping, there is an addictive quality to these films.