56 Up

One of the weakest of the bunch in that the majority of the film is recapping previous editions, but I will say that I noticed that the participants were wiser than they were in 49 Up, almost universally so. They were more reflective and introspective. I guess somewhere between the ages of 49 and 56, you can look forward to becoming wise.

The new content is unlikely to blow anybody away. However, knowing these people well, after watching hours upon hours of footage, it's only natural, I suppose, that one is very interested to learn how they're doing, even if nothing radical has happened since the last time we caught up with their lives.

This was probably my favuorite installment as the series gets more interesting with age. It is reassuring to see how happy most of them seem in spite of the struggles they have endured or continue to endure. Symon, in particular, has become quite an intersting character whereas in the first several shows I found him utterly dull, and it is great to see Neil finding a place for himself in the world even if he's not truly fulfilled or mentally stable. Most of these characters are rather likeable!

Personally I think this is where Jackie overtakes Neil as the most tragic participant - more so as a result of an increasingly cruel bureaucratic system rather than personal issues.

Debbie Walker: "It's not quiet when WE get here!"

As always, a pure joy to check in with this group - those looking for narrative fireworks may be disappointed, but what these films get at (and what will ultimately be their legacy) is the celebration and recording of the mundanities of life in the 60s-10s - we may not literally "be" any of these people, but in terms of the tribulations and successes, they do represent a notion of modern existence (albeit cis-gendered and largely white male!) Another fascinating chapter.

Maybe it's because it's been a few years since seeing the others, but this felt like one of the best episodes in the series, up there with 21 and 28. The various people all get their own segment to talk and they mostly seem a bit more open and insightful than the last few episodes, talking both about their lives and the series with reasonable frankness.

Ohmigosh, how time flies... When watched in conjunction with the rest of the series this can be a little bit tedious thanks to all the repetition from previous chapters. Taken alone, I imagine it would be more powerful.

As usual this is a brilliant documentary.

There's no need to have watched any of the earlier seven films to appreciate this one. And on a positive note, this latest Up underscores the value of commitment in marriage, foster parenting, getting a good education, being content and caring for special needs and disabled children. (pluggedin.com)