Review of 35 Up (1991) by Josh G — 12 Apr 2009

35 Up is no worse than any of the other entries in the series. When I begin watching these movies, I always look at the runtime and gasp. "Two hours and fifteen minutes!" I might exclaim. But when I'm in the films, I would gladly spend half an hour, even an hour with each of the subjects. They're all so interesting, especially because I have known them to some degree over the course of their entire lives. I speak about them as though I know them personally. "Can you believe Suzy?" I might say to my friends casually, as though Suzy is somebody that we know intimately. The only real problem with this entry in the Up series is that there has not been as much progression in the lives of our subjects as there were between the previous films. There is a big change from just starting college to age 28, as you would expect. But surprisingly little has changed during seven years between age 28 and 35. My friend and I did not find it necessary to stop the film to have long discussions about the characters' growth as we had previously.

But it's still greatly engrossing. Tony is as stubborn and set in his ways as ever, showing himself here to be remarkably unlikeable. Our nuclear physicist Nick shows up again - sans wife, since she thought that the previous film showed her in a bad light. (She's right.) John is back, after sitting out 28 Up, but he points out what we already knew: he's only there because his wife made him. He didn't want to continue the series since he thought that the filmmakers were trying to make him look like a jerk. He's right, to a certain extent, but he does a pretty good job of it on his own.

But most of the movie shows the children settling into their lives now that they're middle aged. Not much has changed for them, really. There are a couple of divorces and a few new children. But whatever ideals that they held at 28 seem to be pretty firmly in place now. Perhaps that will change again as we move into the '40s and beyond. It may be because there is less change in their lives that director Michael Apted's questions seem to become more aggressive here. He wonders whether Tony feels as though he feels as though he hasn't accomplished his goals. He literally asks Neil whether he feels like a failure - which was probably not a good idea, because at this point Neil is genuinely losing his mind.

Yeah, I know this is kind of going back and forth, but Neil's story (much as in 28 Up) is the most heartbreaking. I don't want to give anything away for those who have yet to see the films. I know I'd hate it if I went to read a review of the next film and learned some valuable piece of information about where the kids end up. All I will say is that, of the original 14 children, Neil and Suzy are maybe the only ones whose lives cannot be summed up with that old "give me a child at age seven and I will give you the man" line.

Apted has known the kids for pretty much their entire lives now, and it's difficult for him not to show his biases. He goes easy on Nick because he likes him. He goes easy on John (even though he's pretty blatantly hypocritical and annoyingly smug) because he wants him to continue appearing in the series. He's harsher with Tony and with Neil. Is it the same way that a parent unconsciously reprimands his own children for their failings? In 35 Up more than ever, I think that Apted is as much a character in this as the children are.

Still disappointed to see that the rich-kid-on-the-right, Neil's friend, and the guy who will forever be known as "the black kid" were all missing from this installment. No, I don't remember all their names.

But yes. Even though there has been little real change for most of our subjects in terms of their place in life, we are so engrossed in their lives now that we cannot leave with any sense of disappointment. As long as these films continue being made, I can't imagine that they will ever disappoint. We're seeing their lives progress. If they don't change, well, that's something notable. Why didn't they change? What's different this time around? I maintain that the Up series is a superb and remarkable collection of films.

Watch them.