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56 UPMovie Reviews
Documentary about the current lives of the 14 people interviewed every four years since they were children in the 1964 film 'Seven Up'. Cast:Michael Apted, Bruce Balden, Jacqueline Bassett, Symon Basterfield, Andrew Brackfield, John Brisby, Peter Davies, Suzanne Dewey, Charles Furneaux, Nicholas Hitchon, Neil Hughes, Lynn Johnson, Paul Kligerman, Susan Sullivan, Tony WalkerDirector:Michael Apted, Paul AlmondRelease Date:January 4, 2013DVD Release:July 2, 2013From:First RunLength:2 hr 19 min
56 Up opened in key cities to outstanding reviews. • Colin Covert wrote in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "Watching it gives you the wonderful feeling of seeing a sociological experiment blossom into something novelistically rich and humane." • And Ty Burr wrote in the Boston Globe, "...the 'Up' films are unique in the history of both film and anthropology." More Reviews Below...
56 Up Positive Reviews (33 Reviews, reviews below)
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Here is a chronicle of real human souls evolving in real time, a longitudinal study unique to the medium of moving images -- and a documentary masterpiece."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 724 words, 01/18/13
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "It is a mystery, this business of life. I can't think of any cinematic undertaking that allows us to realize that more deeply."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 739 words, 02/01/13
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (12 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...the latest installment in Michael Apted's remarkable documentary project... if you have watched any of the previous episodes in the series, you will care, and deeply..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 985 words, 01/04/13
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: EXCELLENT(cg) "...shows that life is what happens when you're busy making other plans. And how, in case we forget, every age can predict the next."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 373 words, 01/04/13
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times/Chicago Tribune: OUTSTANDING "...a remarkable string of eight documentary features... it's such a privilege to be able to watch Apted's project as it continues to unfold."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 759 words, 01/18/13
Kyle Smith, New York Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...as good a point as any to get hooked on the magnificent half-century series of documentaries... you may get to know these people better than anyone you know."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 498 words, 01/04/13
John Anderson, New York Newsday: VERY GOOD(cg) "Apted creates a graceful back-and-forth from the earlier films to the present... the experience of seeing people who have lived so much on screen is quite profound."(See all of John Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 324 words, 01/11/13
Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine: VERY GOOD "The effect is often profoundly moving, but you can't help but feel at times like there are other stories here you're missing."(See all of Bilge Ebiri's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 957 words, 01/04/13
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "It is a mystery, this business of life. I can't think of any cinematic undertaking that allows us to realize that more deeply."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 739 words, 02/01/13
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Apted's entire project is awesome in scale but subject to inevitable diminishing returns... '35 Up' was its acme.... Ever since, we've been lost in the wind-down..."(See all of Michael Atkinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 712 words, 01/02/13
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "Apted makes for a curious and patient inquisitor, as always, and you have to give the man all due respect for creating a unique work that will likely never again be equaled..."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 824 words, 12/21/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "Michael Apted is doing something utterly unprecedented, creating a portrait not just of his subjects but of the society in which they live..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 224 words, 12/20/12
KEY CITIES (10 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "This is the stuff of reality television and Russian novels -- and, every seven years, at least, of a compelling and moving film."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 503 words, 02/15/13
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...will make you laugh and cry, shake your head in affirmation and dismay.... what ultimately is so compelling is the universality of the experiences."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 539 words, 02/22/13
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Watching it gives you the wonderful feeling of seeing a sociological experiment blossom into something novelistically rich and humane."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 466 words, 02/08/13
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...we see some of the characters in ourselves. That can be scary or thrilling, or anything in-between. But no matter what response it provokes, it's always real."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 606 words, 03/29/13
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Whether Apted, now 72, continues the series or hands it off to other directors, the 'Up' films are unique in the history of both film and anthropology."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 716 words, 02/08/13
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a rather bittersweet chapter, as age begins to further narrow those possibilities already defined at birth. And it hints that '63 Up,' if we get there, may be sadder still."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 490 words, 01/04/13
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "We feel good, refreshed and depressed in watching these people get older, also embarrassed in moments and cautioned about the passage of time."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 541 words, 02/15/13
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a richly observed portrait of a generation and a continually evolving treatise on the relationship between nature and nurture."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 455 words, 02/15/13
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (7 Reviews)
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Apted's entire project is awesome in scale but subject to inevitable diminishing returns... '35 Up' was its acme.... Ever since, we've been lost in the wind-down..."(See all of Michael Atkinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 712 words, 01/02/13
Gerald Peary, Boston Phoenix: VERY GOOD(cg) "...moving and philosophic, though not as exciting as earlier episodes, which had more drama. Only one character seems angrier and more pessimistic than last time..."(See all of Gerald Peary's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 226 words, 02/07/13
Tasha Robinson, AV Club: VERY GOOD(cg) "Individually, the films don't have much to offer new viewers... Collectively, though, they're a fascinating exercise in voyeurism that predates the voyeurism age..."(See all of Tasha Robinson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 729 words, 01/03/13
Cynthia Fuchs, Pop Matters: EXCELLENT(cg) "The films, so seemingly transparent, are also performative, reality TV before the concept emerged, personal and public lives mashed together."(See all of Cynthia Fuchs's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 963 words, 01/24/13
Steve Macfarlane, Slant: VERY GOOD(cg) "...works beautifully, less as a film standing on its own two legs than as yet another summit reached by Michael Apted, his interviewees, and his archivists."(See all of Steve Macfarlane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 630 words, 12/30/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "Michael Apted is doing something utterly unprecedented, creating a portrait not just of his subjects but of the society in which they live..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 224 words, 12/20/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (5 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: EXCELLENT "...an inspiring testimonial to the unpredictability of the human spirit.... reminds us that change is ceaseless and often dramatic..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 822 words, 01/11/13
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...the latest installment in Michael Apted's remarkable documentary project... if you have watched any of the previous episodes in the series, you will care, and deeply..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 985 words, 01/04/13
David Denby, New Yorker: GOOD "...brings both relief and dismay.... The British class system has its protections at every level, but also - at least to American eyes - a built-in inertia."(See all of David Denby's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 654 words, 01/21/13
Mark Jenkins, NPR: GOOD "...offers a few insights, and fascinating updates on the most compelling characters.... Most lives are fairly settled, so there are fewer surprises and breakthroughs."(See all of Mark Jenkins's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 589 words, 01/03/13
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...a remarkable string of eight documentary features... it's such a privilege to be able to watch Apted's project as it continues to unfold."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 759 words, 01/18/13
John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: EXCELLENT "...one of cinema's most worthy enterprises... Perhaps more than its predecessors, this installment affords interviewees chances to air misgivings about their involvement..."(See all of John DeFore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 388 words, 10/08/12
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...a remarkable string of eight documentary features... it's such a privilege to be able to watch Apted's project as it continues to unfold."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 759 words, 01/18/13
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "...the latest installment in Michael Apted's remarkable documentary project... if you have watched any of the previous episodes in the series, you will care, and deeply..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 985 words, 01/04/13
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: EXCELLENT "...an inspiring testimonial to the unpredictability of the human spirit.... reminds us that change is ceaseless and often dramatic..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 822 words, 01/11/13
15.2 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
56 Up's reviews are separated by an average 15.2 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Coverage:56 Up's reviews cover 55.9% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 18,645 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 565 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
56 Up Coverage, Volume & Length (33 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 16 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
56 Up's reviews on average broke 16 days after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is 56 Up's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
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