4 stars out of 5
First of all, this is not a quickie sequel to This Is 40, and thank goodness for that. It is, however, definitely a sequel, the 8th installment in Michael Apted’s fascinating “Up” documentary series. (Apted was an assistant on the first one, Seven Up!, back in 1964, and has been the director of every one since.) The concept, if you’re unfamiliar, is pretty cool: They selected 14 British seven-year-olds from different backgrounds, and have returned every seven years to see how their lives have progressed.
If you’ve been following the series, I imagine you’ll watch 56 Up regardless what I say. And if you haven’t watched them, is this the film to start with? I suppose you could—there are many flashback—but why not travel back in time via the magic of Netflix. That’s what I did back in late 2008. I think I’d been vaguely aware of the series since 35 Up but had never seen one. When 49 Up came out on video, I was determined to catch up. And I did, in a flurry. It was emotionally exhausting watching these sweet kids become awkward teens and confident and not-so-confident adults, with the expected triumphs and disappointments. And then suddenly they were older than me, and that was pretty weird.
I was determined to see 56 Up in the theater and, by gum, that’s what I’ve done. It’s wonderful to visit with old friends, though of course, more wonderful to see some more than others. You definitely root for certain of the “kids” as the series progresses. For me, that’s generally been the working and middle class participants. (I am a man of the people, after all.) But sometimes people can surprise you (Andrew the upper-class twit has always seemed like a real decent guy) and sometimes my own opinions have shifted (Nick the farm boy turned scientist seemed very compelling as a young man, but now, with his ubiquitous giant-logo polo shirts, he’s become a bit of a bore).
Indeed, if there is a negative to this installment, it’s that many of the participants have settled into a routine, and there aren’t many shocks since they were 49. That’s the fault of life, not Apted. He does his best to keep things lively, however. We do get the shocking return of Peter the young radical who we last saw at age 28. It’s actually not shocking when we learn that he wants to promote his folk-rock band. (John the upper-class twit pulled the same maneuver years earlier when he returned to get publicity for his Eastern European charities.) The downturn of the global economy is also unique to this installment, and it’s interesting how it has impacted individuals at all social levels. And we get some refreshing honesty: Neil the wandering politician admits he doesn’t really have anything going on, and Apted briefly confronts nice-guy cabbie Tony on his low-level but fairly constant racism.
One small criticism: Apted oddly presents one segment so that for a while, I thought that Suzy and Nick had belatedly begun a romance. Now that would’ve been zany.
Sue (not Suzy) has replaced Bruce as my favorite participant, the one I’m rooting for the most. She’s always been beautiful but it’s her sunny disposition and her ability to take life as it comes that has always impressed me. And she has a surprise up her sleeve this time: Suzy is trying community theater. Yo go, girl!
At the end, we once again hear the Jesuit motto we heard back in 1964: “Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man.” It has always been the thesis of this series and, despite frequent protestations by a few of the participants, it remains pretty close to the truth. I doubt 63 Up will change that.
Jack Silbert, curator