5 FLIGHTS UP
US, 2014, 92 minutes, Colour.
Morgan Freeman, Diane Keaton, Cynthia Nixon, Clare van der Boom, Korey Jackson, Josh Pais.
Directed by Richard Loncraine.
When we see that the stars are Morgan Freeman (who will be 80 in 2017) and Diane Keaton (70 in 2016), we know who the demographic is for this light comedy drama. It is for those who are at home in the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel or saw and enjoyed Shirley Mac Laine and Christopher Plummer in Elsa and Fred. It is somewhat slighter than these films but it is definitely geared for that older audience. (For those who want to be dismayed by attitudes of younger audiences, have a glance at the blog entries on the Internet Movie Database and see how There is a low frustration tolerance for this kind of story of “oldies” - boring - with the worry that this might apply not only to the movies but also to responses in real life!)
The title indicates some strain and effort on staircases, especially when we discover that there is no elevator in the apartment block where our married couple, married for 40 years, have lived all that time. Morgan Freeman’s Alex is a painter but is finding getting up the steps rather demanding – as does the couple’s dog, Dorothy, who is in more of a state of collapse than Alex. Diane Keaton’s Ruth is sympathetic to Alex and the stress and has decided that it would be better if they moved, sold their apartment, search for somewhere else to live which would be more convenient and congenial. Alex is not so sure.
In fact, Alex is less sure when Ruth’s niece, Lily (Cynthia Nixon) a real estate agent, with incessant patter, is enthusiastic about having a day when people will come to view the apartment. Anybody who has had to sell a house or buy a house and experienced people coming in to inspect places will respond with laughter and with exasperation at the range of people who come to have a look – some with no intention of buying but just to see how the other half live. And all the time, the niece is playing up to the potential clients, repeating her spiel, with incessant enthusiasm. Ruth manages while Alex gets rather sick of it all, except for little girl with whom he has an enjoyable chat.
It is hoped that dog-lovers will excuse talking about Dorothy’s crisis only now but the apartment sale seems to have priority. Alex and Ruth hurry her to the vet, and they (and us) will be gobsmacked at the price of treating a dog in New York City let alone the thousands of dollars required for surgery. Dorothy has the surgery and there are continually anxious phone calls to the vet to find out whether there is any progress. Dog-lovers will find this all much more’s suspenseful than whether the couple are able to sell their apartment or not!
While in the taxi, there is gridlock in the city, a tanker lodged on a bridge and the driver escaping, of Middle-Eastern? appearance, with rapid conclusions that he is a terrorist, compounded by the chatter of the TV hosts which serves as a thread throughout the film, illustrating New Yorker phobias, suspicions and wariness (as one girl in a shop says “I don’t speak Muslim”), and a great concern that this kind of terrorism will have a detrimental effect on property prices in the area – so, some ironic touches of satire throughout the film.
The other aspect is that Ruth decides they should look up advertisements, go to scout out a few places themselves, find an apartment that they really like, hear the crankiness of the owners, the spiel of the agent – and the niece turning up and intervening, threatening the law, eager to get her percentage…
Since this is a film for the elderly audience, it is certainly no good having a sad ending and everybody going glumly back out of the cinema, so, without spoiling what happens, audiences will leave the cinema after 5 Flights Up feeling happy and even relieved.
1. New York story, the visuals, the world of seniors, the terrorist situation and traffic blocks, the search for new apartment?
2. The apartment, the interiors, the insertion of the flashbacks occurring within the apartment? The streets, the vet and the animal hospital, the range of new apartments? The feel of New York City, the look? The musical score and the songs?
3. The title, the focus, the steps, no lift, age and difficulties in movement, tiring? And the dog?
4. Alex and Ruth, married for 40 years, the racial difficulties at the time of the wedding, Ruth’s mother and her prejudice? The Vietnam background and Alex not wanting to talk about it? The artist? Ruth, the teacher? The attempts to have children, Ruth’s sense of failure? The retirement, Alex giving her the gift of the dog? The quality of their life together, love for each other?
5. Alex, Morgan Freeman and his presence, his voice – and the actor portraying his younger equivalent? Age, collecting the paper, walking the dog, the stress of the steps, awkward with the phone, the Internet? His art, the paintings in the apartment, the portraits, especially of Ruth? Dorothy unwell, taking her to the vet, in the taxi, the traffic congestion? The surgery, the discussions with the doctor, costs? Phone calls and checking? The visit? Hope for Dorothy’s recovery?
6. Diane Keaton’s Ruth, her manner, presence, style? The combination with Morgan Freeman? In the past, teacher, available for modelling, Alex and her glasses, the painting? Retirement, the gift of the dog? Her inability to have children, her sense of disappointment? Alex telling her that the schoolchildren were children? Adept at Googling and the Internet?
7. The decision to sell the apartment, the reasons? Lily, neice, family background, as an agent, the visits, talking, Alex’s reaction? Setting up the visits, early in the morning, trying to sell the apartments, the different spiels, language, repetition, slogans, engaging with the potential clients? The continued phone calls, wheeler-dealing?
8. The visitors, the dog ladies and their relationship, later finding out they wanted to adopt, the stern woman, the training of the dog? the psychologist and her wanting to rearrange the apartment? The woman who liked just to look at the apartments and her sardonic comments? The mother lying on the bed, the
friendly little daughter and discussions with Alex? The initial couple, on the phone, critical? The various bids and phone calls?
9. The traffic situation, on the television, pervading the film, New Yorkers and the attitude towards terrorists, the woman saying that the accused had robbed her, her lies, ignorance, “not talking Muslim”? Searching for the bombs? The tanker, on the bridge, the approach of the police? The continued patter of the television commentators, even though they did not know what was happening?
10. Alex and Ruth, the desire for a new apartment, looking at the papers, the visits, the first apartment, not liking it, the second apartment, the agent, the space, decision to buy?
11. The range of bids, time limits, Lily and her pressure, an agent and wanting the commission?
12. Alex and Ruth, the visit, the wary owners, Lily pulling legal rank, the television news, discovering the accused, his kneeling on the ground? Alex not signing the document? Alex and his comments on New Yorkers, terrorism, upset about traffic being blocked, apartment prices going up and down? His decision not to sign?
13. Lily, the anger, walking away?
14. Alex and Ruth, continuing their life, rediscovering their life, collecting Dorothy, happy couple and their quality of life?
