VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Lightdeossk Captivating movie !

CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Caryl It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Lechuguilla A kidnapping, a spooky carwash, grungy locations, and a long car chase all figure into this cop film about an elite group of NYC policemen, known as the "seven-ups", who pursue criminals whose crimes warrant prison time of seven years and up.The script seems perfunctory and indifferent, with too many villains, and not enough differentiation between them. It's hard to tell who's doing what to whom. The only clarity is in the lead detective named "Buddy" (Roy Scheider) and a couple of his detective partners. Beyond that, most of the other characters seem to blur into each other. Some are organized mobsters; others are just freelance thugs, at odds with each other.At the plot's midpoint, the director introduces what is arguably the big highlight of the film, an urban car chase that goes on for an incredible nine minutes. Complete with screeching tires that never go flat despite tearing into objects and automobiles, the chase has Buddy pursuing a couple of thugs at unrealistically high speeds. The reason for such a lengthy chase is not clear, but the POV shots from inside the cars make for an interestingly vicarious ride.On-location filming is terrific, and by far the best element. Cinematography is acceptable; colors are muted. This film contains very long scenes, which give depth to the characters, but also slows the film's pace. Acting is average. Roy Scheider would not have been my choice to play the role of Buddy. The casting problem with the villains relates more to script problems than to the actors. Intermittent background music is interestingly eerie.The best that can be said of this somewhat dull movie is that it does evoke a specific place and time in American history, the late 60s and early 70s in urban America. The grit and roughness of the characters and locales convey a heightened realism that's not possible with current CGI effects. Apart from that, "The Seven-Ups" is a fairly formulaic story about big city cops and robbers.

dougdoepke An elite squad of the NYPD goes after a scheme to ransom big time mobsters.An odd thing about this cop caper is that they're practically no women. If memory serves, there's only one young woman, a nurse, and she has one line! And that's pretty much the case even for the street scenes. So if you're a guy looking for eye-candy, this is not your dish. Still they're all kinds of compensations for guys who like their steak on the tough side. Scheider (Buddy) may be a low-key cop, but you never know what he'll do next, lawfully or otherwise. Definitely, you don't want him visiting you in the hospital. Then there's the slick-talking Vito (LoBianco) with the looks of a choir boy and the scruples of Satan. Just where he'll end up is anybody's guess. Of course, there's also the car chase centerpiece, hair-raisingly choreographed. Frankly, I'll not be driving for a while, especially in NYC.I had some trouble at the beginning sorting out the characters. The screenplay more or less let's you figure out who's who, and which side of the law they're on. And since the 7-Ups are in civilian garb, that can be tough if you're not paying good attention. No, Scheider's 7-Up is not particularly likable, but you've got to admire his determination, especially behind the steering wheel. And get a load of the movie locations. I don't think the New York Tourist Bureau will be hiring this crew anytime soon. That last shootout scene looks like it was filmed inside the seedy remnants of a sea-side trash dump. And has a car-wash ever looked so menacing. I bet business dropped off big time after this up-close and personal view of an urban inferno.Anyhow, it's a good tough cop flick, with an unvarnished view of the Big Apple and its police force. Just don't take a car trip there any time soon.

Bene Cumb Of the three imaginary trinity by Philip D'Antoni, I would rate The Seven-Ups as the 2nd best. It does not reach the level of The French Connection, but I found it more interesting than Bullitt where silence and mute scenes were too prevailing. The car chase was impressive again - although it is difficult to believe that even then, in the 1970ies, one could drive recklessly in New York, causing incidents and accidents, for tens of minutes without seeing lots of policemen... The cast is also more even than in Bullitt, with more character actors such as Larry Haines or particularly Richard Lynch; Roy Schreider was high-level as usual. Inclusion of mobsters and white-collar fraudsters enables to alter the pace and enclose long yet interesting discourses about multiple issues. The very ending could be have more sophisticated, however.Nevertheless, a strong crime thriller, with events developing without constant shootings-explosions and "witty" cues.

lost-in-limbo From the man who brought cinema-goers 1968 "Bullit" and 1971 "The French Connection", Philip D'Antoni goes on to produce, but also make his directorial debut with the realistic, tough-as-nails crime thriller "The Seven-Ups" starring an unwavering Roy Scheider as the leader of a secret squad of the New York police who got their name from the minimum sentence of their targeted gangsters. Things go pear shape when their own is killed in action and the men seek their own justice. While this urban cop formula might be overworked, it's rather well-done for its type with exciting passages like the scorchingly intense high- speed car chase. It's masterful in its execution and camera positional work. D'Antoni resourcefully keeps a fast pace, where tension is sustained through good writing, elaborate plotting (where it does show its cards early), vivid performances and well-timed thrills and spills with smooth editing. Really it's quite minimal on the action leaning towards the investigative digging, but when it occurs it's explosive and raw. Just the way the 70s loved it. One thing that did catch my attention was Don Ellis' dangerously impulsive music score. Very unhinged, but it did suit the film's dark, relentless tone. The story is very much character based and the performances are assured across the board. Victor Arnold, Jerry Leon and Ken Kercheval make-up the rest of "The Seven-ups". Tony Lo Bianco magnificently holds up alongside Scheider as his go-to-man for information. Then there's Larry Haines as one the head mobsters. However in the bad guy roles it was Bill Hickman and especially the striking Richard Lynch who stood out. Lynch was terrifically menacing. Also in a minor part is genre actor Joe Spinell. Compelling, lean and mean 70's cop drama.