35 Up

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.

I've been watching "Siskel& Ebert" reviews for years, but it's only one week ago that I discovered through their "35 Up" review Michael Apted's "Up" documentary series. I saw it from the start and got instantly hooked up. This is one of the most fascinating and ambitious projects that ever used TV as a medium. A work for the ages. The moment is twice pivotal, because I'm back to the "35 Up", and because I happen to be 35. From now on, they'll be older than me and maybe the documentary will try to teach me lessons, rather than inspire me regrets.

Indeed, as I said before, the appeal of this program is that by being able to provide glimpses of the same lives every seven years, it allows us to detect some common denominators between the kids, the teens they became and the adult they were. At first, we try to guess who is going to be happy, to succeed, now, we try to find out why they did or didn't. Indirectly, it made me measure my own accomplishments or lack thereof. It always seems easy when you do it retrospectively and I admire them for playing the game till the end. I was pleasantly surprised that John came back, he declined to be interviewed at the age of 28, stating that he was fully satisfied, which could pass as snobbery. But here he's back, at 35, revealing richer layers of his personality, starting with his Bulgarian background which encouraged him to take part to some Balkan-oriented charity events. I don't think he ever mentioned that his mother was Bulgarian in the other episodes. Peter and Simon declined to be interviewed, perhaps because they had no call for people's attention, which is understandable.

But the others are still there and I think Apted had found his pace and uses practically the same order as the other episodes. I expected Tony to be the first, he's still high- spirited, trying to fulfill all his dreams, being a cab driver, raising a family, taking acting courses etc.. Bruce has never gave up on his idealism and still teaches courses to immigrants children and goes visit Bangladesh to understand the background of his pupils, every word he delivers speaks a lot about his generous nature and profound altruism. I really liked Bruce.

And other couples are doing quite happily, Paul, Andrew, Nicholas and Suzie they're all stable and content with themselves. The film isn't always as 'dramatic' as the previous ones, but it features some very poignant moments, many involving deaths or health problems. Sadly, Lynn has been diagnosed with some brain condition and I guess the show was heading to that, sooner or later. Parents are getting old, some have left the world, and while we don't know when this will end, we know how it will. I got so accustomed to these people, they became family and I know the show will reach a point when one subject will die, if not Apted.

But let's just embrace the present, and appreciate that for all his emotional struggles, the most troubled subject Neil is alive. It's funny but reading my previous reviews, I never really gave much thoughts about Neil, I simply didn't see his troubles coming. His personality was positive and cheerful but something between the "14" and "21" episode must have totally derailed him. Neil lives in a remote Scottish country from welfare and trying to have a place in a rather modest community. As he says "I've got many things I want to do, but the question is how likely am I to do them?" This is a man intellectually advanced enough to diagnose his problems, not emotionally apt to solve them.

Neil is the eternal question mark and maybe he has somewhat found his status by being an unlikely spokesperson to all the misfits of the worlds. I was surprised by how slightly distracted I was at the middle of the documentary. I was waiting for "Neil" part but Apted kind of anticipated it and the way he constructs his documentary shows that he knows exactly it has to start with Tony who's like the little mascot, then Suzie. In the middle. At mid-point, there's John's comeback. And the documentary has got to end with Neil, it is almost indecent to go back to sights of suburban happiness after him.

But who's happy anyway? I like the comment from Jackie, the idea of being unhappy never occurs to her until the next seven years when Apted comes "nosing around", it was deep in a funny way. Sometimes, the simple question, "are you happy?" implies that you're not. And maybe the reason we want to see this documentary, one episode after another, is because we're not happy or let's just say: we're not as happy as we wished. But again, who is? I don't expect answers of course, I'm not even expecting drastic changes for the next episode, I only wish I will find Lynn in good health and Neil in a better state.

But it's incredible how things change in seven years. I said I'm 35, it's been coincidentally 7 years that I started reviewing movies on IMDb, and while I was reading the early ones and try to find hints about my character, I realized I could also be subject to my own introspection and have glimpses of the state of mind that lead to the very choices I ended up regretting. They were imperceptible then but now, they're as plain as the nose in the face.

So, we might lose hair, gain weight but there's always something in the mind, the heart and the eye that resist the passing of time and speak a core-truth about us, whatever it is, it's what the "Up" series is always digging in. And the hints are more interesting than the answers.

In a sense it is remarkable that over the 28 years up to this film, all of the original subjects are still alive.

I still wonder if way back then, Michael Apted had this great vision for, or if he just stumbled upon, this superb study of human nature and how humans grow up. The whole series has been a fascination for me. Now my public library has the whole DVD series, 6 films on 5 discs, and right now it is in my viewing room. Having seen "42 UP" a few years ago, the DVD series has given me the opportunity to see all of them. What a fine series it is. Now I want to see "49 UP"!!

At 35 each of the subjects are well into their lives and it is fascinating to see into how many directions they have gone. And, in a real sense, all of them are successful, when we define success as finding fulfillment in where you are and in what you do. Neil is the only possible exception, but Neil is bright and, although he thinks he may be slowly going mad, he accurately sizes up the whole mad world around all of us. So, from my point of view, even Neil is successful.

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.

Director Michael Apted revisits his kids once again 7 years later. They are 35 now and they continue to surprise.

Some of them face the deaths of their parents. In the case of Paul, he's reconnecting with his father. There is more reflection now that they're in the middle age area. They aren't kids anymore.

The biggest disappointment has to be the missing participants. Charles continues to not participate. And now Peter and Simon are gone. Certainly we want at least an update. The most heart warming part has to be Neil. The fact that he isn't dead in the middle of nowhere is a big victory.