Spidersecu Don't Believe the Hype

MusicChat It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

johwarn As a UK-born and resident who is 2 years older than the participants of this series, all I can say to Michael Apted is thank you. This series has been a record of the social, economic and cultural influences over my own life. It may surprise some of your US readers to know that there was a brief window of opportunity for working class (blue collar)kids in the late 70's and early 80's to access higher education in the UK. It is a pity that no-one in the 7up series accessed such chances as I did; now working as a forensic psychologist (having left high school at 16 with nothing worth a damn). Nevertheless, I feel enormously proud of the working class kids in the series in the way they have handled the challenges of their twenties and thirties; I am so pleased that Apted has reflected their lives without judgement. As a woman, I am equally proud of Suzie, who survived probably the most apparently 'deprived' childhood to grow into a confident, warm and happy wife and mother. Finally, who could fail to have a corner of their heart reserved for Neil and for Bruce who reached out a helping hand - these people feel like my friends. Thank you so much to all of you for sharing your lives so generously - please don't stop. I am REALLY looking forward to my next 'postcard' from you in 49 UP. You have been, and will continue to be,an inspiration to others in your simple humanity and your enormous dignity, reflected so skilfully by Michael Apted. Love him or hate him, at least he has remained loyal to this fantastic and unparallelled project.

pdianek Yes, you CAN view 42Up without having seen 35Up, 28Up, etc. But it would be wrong. Because with each film, less of the past can be shown as each person's past increases -- thus you get only the highlights of each past: e.g., teenage Suzy's dad's death, which enormously affected her; the orphanage-reared Paul's move to Australia, and his marriage to an Oz woman with a big hearty family; Nick's move to the US -- with no class system surrounding him, he's been able to avoid what the rest are still struggling with, but is it worth the high cost of seeing his Yorkshire family no more than every other year?The participants were all born circa 1956, so age 49 will be around 2005. There are some pasts I hope we hear less of in 49Up: I don't want to hear any more about Tony's casual infidelities, thank you very much. His wife's reactions to his self-justifications ("I'm not proud of it, but every man does it"...that kind of lame excuse), and her silent yet profound unhappiness and betrayal, are excruciating. Besides, these days, infidelity is simply a welcome mat to self-transformation into a disease vector. But I would genuinely like to know how Neil descended into alarming solitariness and depression without getting therapy in what was then one of the world's largest venues for socialized medicine. (I hope by now he's been able to adjust his brain chemistry. Thank God for Bruce, another 'Up' man who befriended and helped Neil.)These people become so known to us that every seven years it's like renewing acquaintance. Such fame has not been entirely welcome, though Tony has been able to parlay it into parts as an actor. It must feel uncomfortable to have complete strangers know what you were like at 14...an age most of us feel sincerely relieved to have left behind. That the ones who continue to say yes to Michael Apted and his crew generally handle their filming with immense dignity and humor speaks volumes about their generosity -- and their curiosity. How are the others doing? How am I compared to seven years ago? What have I learned during those years? What can I learn from this episode?For the 'Up' people: thank you for your willingness to open your lives and homes, to answer intrusive questions, to demonstrate your values and what's brought you through, and to give us all a better understanding of what human growth is really about.

waia2000 One of the most important ongoing social and cultural projects of our time, this series of films has documented the lives of a number of people from the age of seven up. Currently the participants are in their mid-forties, now in a position to reflect on the past as well as to speculate about their future from a reasonably well-informed perspective. It is truly fascinating to get even this brief glimpse of how these people have progressed through their lives, from the fresh enthusiasm of early childhood through the angst and pain of the teen years, then coping with the various ups and downs of adulthood. Many have children of their own; some have lost parents along the way. Most have remained in their native England, where social class is more of an issue than here in the States. Class struggle is a topic of discussion in the film, though touched upon rather briefly.This reviewer has been watching Michael Apted's project for the past fourteen years and is approximately the same age as the participants, a fact which makes the film that much more involving. One feels a connection with these people. Reviewing these people's lives is much like looking back at one's own, which strengthens the feelings of warmth and familiarity that this film evokes.Mr. Apted has done an excellent job with these films and the reviewer wishes to express appreciation to him as well as to the interviewees.

edwartell Although it might not be readily apparent to those who only know Michael Apted as the director of The World Is Not Enough, Michael Apted is in reality a skilled and experienced director. Here, Apted returns to his famous documentary series, in which he has followed London children from age 7 onward, returning every 7 years to chronicle where they are currently in their lives. Suffice it to say that even the world's worst filmmaker couldn't remove the inevitable fascination such a project automatically generates interest in anyone interested in either documentaries about people or the differences between the London social classes. This time around (as the title indicates) the subjects are 42 years old, and we find them settling down. They seem to be doing fine for the most part, as even the formerly homeless subject gets a job - albeit a low paying local government job. Yet the movie needs a more ruthless editor- 42 Up is 139 minutes long. It'll interest you, but you'll keep looking at your watch.