In 1964, the short film "Seven Up!" appeared on British television. Its focus was on fourteen seven-year old children of different class backgrounds expressing their aspirations in life. Every seven years, a sequel was made re-interviewing the subjects as they expressed their current (at the time) life situations, concerns, and again, their outlooks for the future. "63 Up" focuses on most of the original fourteen post-middle age.
This film is part of a superb periodic series which uses great editing from its prequels to show the passage of time. The current film has special relevance as it is at the time of life when mortality is rearing its head.
Most of the subjects have lead rather conventional lives but there are a few exceptions particularly a man (Neil) who had great difficulties in his twenties and has had fascinating, unpredictable changes since then.
"63 Up" not only covers changes in the lives of the subjects but occasionally the changes in the world itself or at least in the UK. This includes discussions of the subjects' adult children who will likely face financial difficulties compared to their own prosperity as baby-boomers. In some ways, there could have been more talk on such worldly changes although Tony, a taxi driver, is blunt in describing how the rise of Uber has affected his livelihood.
The rare time an interviewee is asked about Brexit, it was always a man. There are only a handful of women (four out of the fourteen) interviewed and the omission of asking them questions on the state of the world reflects an attitude in earlier clips when as girls or young women, they were asked only about ideals of boyfriends, husbands, and children. Thankfully, an older clip is included in which one of the gals confronts the interviewer/director (Michael Apted) on this - and quite strongly, too.
While many of the stories have much in common and occasionally seem ordinary, it is still easy to care for these people after all these years. - dbamateurcritic
