SnoopyStyle
The gang is back under the directions of Michael Apted. They are now closing in on old age. Everybody is looking back rather than looking forward. Sure they look forward for their kids, but not anymore for themselves. Peter has finally return to the series, but it's only a taste. He's only giving the highlights but mostly he wants to promote his band. He still isn't completely open especially about his first marriage. That is still better than Charles who is still absent.The question is starting to creep in on what will happen to this series if one of them pass or maybe if Michael Apted pass. This raises the question of what the future episode will look like. It will probably feel like talking to my parents and the older generations about their aches and pains. Everybody will be comparing their medical health. The part I want to see now is Michael Apted on camera. He's getting up there in age and it would be nice to see the group talk to him as an equal before it's too late.
maurice yacowar
Michael Apted confirms the series' status as a remarkably insightful, moving, often poetic, chronicle of the times. More than a series, it's a phenomenon. The stated intention is to prove the Jesuit adage, "Give me the child until he is seven and I will give you the man." But as the upper class John here claims, the show set out to prove that England is "still in the grasp of a Dickensian class system," which he claims was not true in '64 and is even less true now. His friend Andrew's view is borne out by most of the stories here. A harsh stratification remains in force, but it is primarily economic, not social. In a brilliant spinning irony, the very aristocratic John claims Apted misrepresented him by not mentioning his father died when he was nine, his mother labored hard and he got to Oxford only on a scholarship. But John himself convincingly presented himself as a blue blood. Moreover, in his generous patronage of his forefather's Bulgaria he proves himself the ideal aristocrat! Apted frequently reminds us how documentary moves into poetry and real people into metaphors. For more see www.yacowar.blogspot.com.
asc85
While I did check the Spoiler box, I wanted to warn again that I might have some spoilers in this review.Perhaps not surprisingly, this series has been uneven. Some very good ones, and some not-so-good ones. I'd say with the exception of the original 7 Up, this is probably the best in the series. I am five years younger than these people, so I could relate to some of the their feelings at this stage in their life. I thought that as they are aging, most of them have become more and more likable. Even cab driver Tony, one of my least favorite people in this series now comes off as a decent guy to me. Obviously, Neil is probably the most compelling character of this group, and I'm glad to see that he's doing so much better now compared to 28 and 35.I also thought that it was smart that when Apted shows clips from prior cycles, he is starting to put on the screen which movie it came from. At 42 Up and 49 Up, it was getting extremely difficult to figure out which years we were seeing in the massive cross-cutting that is done. This makes 56 Up much easier to follow than those two.On the DVD's Special Features, section, I would also highly recommend watching the late Roger Ebert's interview with Michael Apted after 49 Up came out. It definitely gave me additional insight and context. Next to Neil, I have always found Suzy to be my favorite person in the series, primarily because of her extreme transformation from 21 to 28! Apted notes in the commentary that Suzy is a big fan favorite for many...I thought it might have only been me! He also notes how the tone is different for each of these films, based on what is going on at that life stage, and actually refers to 28 Up as "overbearing." I found that interesting, because for me, 28 Up is by far the worst of the series.If you haven't seen any of the series, I'm not sure I'd recommend this. One should at least see 7 Up/14 Up (on the same DVD in America) before seeing 56 Up. I started with 49 Up when it came out, and since then, started watching them in order so that I would be all caught up with 56 Up.
scrabbler
56 Up - hard to believe. I've watched 3 or 4 of these over my 53 years, and each one becomes harder for me to watch as I get older. I was suddenly a little scared when the titles for this one started; I almost walked out of the theater. What has become of this group of kids that director Apted has been following since he was 22 years old? What new tragedies had befallen them? Whatever became of the homeless guy? Would any of them finally blow up at Apted on-camera?Probably the most unnerving thing for me was that the film would just be unbearably poignant. It seems almost god-like to be able to see how a group of 14 people's lives have progressed over a 49-year period. (Yet, as one of the men complains, viewers can't possibly know these people, even though many in Britain presume to (since this was shown on TV there, many British people have watched all 8 films). Fortunately, however, the film isn't overly sentimental or maudlin. Still, the film is very touching and can't help but make you think about your own life and trials, what advantages you may or may not have had compared to these people, and how you would have fared given their circumstances.One of the sadder aspects of these films is to see how life seems to have "beaten down" so many of these people. Some of the kids with bright, shiny eyes who seemed to have so much energy and hope now seem to be dejected and defeated adults. Yet this isn't true for all of them - some of the reserved, quiet kids turned out to be reserved, quiet adults. And it's not all sad - there are some good laughs and some inspiring successes. And two subjects who had dropped out returned for this segment - one to promote his band! There are plenty of clips from earlier segments, so you don't need to rent any of the earlier ones, but I'd recommend it. You get a more profound sense of the flow of their lives by seeing at least one other one. But whatever you do, see this one.
AD
