Categories: Movie Reviews

5 Flights Up – Blu-ray Movie Review

Synopsis

Ruth and Alex have been living happily in the same Brooklyn apartment for 40 years. They decide to sell and move to a building with an elevator. Ruth’s niece Lily just happens to be a real estate agent so she helps set them up with an open house. When the offers start coming in they realize they quickly need to find a new place to live. Attending multiple open houses reveals the same cast of characters at each one – the lady that has to lie in every bed to see if the apartment speaks to her, the couple training a seeing-eye dog, etcetera. Eventually they find a place they like but only have a few hours to commit while deciding which offer to accept on their apartment. Will they gamble their entire future on a snap decision?

Specifications

Universal
2014, Color, Rated PG-13, 1 Hr 33 mins
DTS-HD Master Audio, 2.40:1 Aspect Ratio
Starring: Diane Keaton, Morgan Freeman, Cynthia Nixon
Directed by Richard Loncraine

Rating

Entertainment:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Violence: No
Sex: Nude Images
Language: Mild

Commentary

This a fun little film told in a short-story format. The subject matter is light and luckily the movie is an appropriate length. The two main characters are well-played by Morgan Freeman and Diane Keaton but they don’t display much on-screen chemistry until the plot is nearly concluded. In fact the two actors that play the younger versions of Ruth and Alex do a far better job convincing the viewer of their love and friendship.

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The story itself has a few backdrop elements like a city-wide terrorist manhunt and the family dog who needs expensive back surgery and is touch-and-go during most of the film. Cynthia Nixon provides good comic relief as the hyper-active real estate agent. It’s no wonder the process of buying and selling properties in New York City is so frustrating!

If you enjoy a little satire wrapped around a nice slice-of-life story, than 5 Flights Up is an ideal film. There isn’t much depth to the plot but it’s a good relaxing 90 minutes during which you don’t really need to think. Definitely recommended for a quiet evening on the couch.

Technical

The image shows excellent clarity and contrast but its warm color palette looks filtered and almost monochromatic at times. It enhances the feel of the film but I think the creators went a little too far away from more natural hues.

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Audio is crisp and clear courtesy of a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 encode. Dialog is about 90 percent of what you’ll hear and that is nicely balanced in the center channel. Ambient sound effects are a little sparse given the New York City backdrop and your surrounds and sub will be taking the night off. Music provides a nice framework to the film thanks to a solid score from David Newman.

Extras

There is no bonus content in this release. An unlock code is provided for a digital copy of the film from UltraViolet.

Chris Eberle

Chris' passion for audio began when he took up playing the bassoon at age 12. During his third year at the New England Conservatory of Music, he won a position with the West Point Band where he served for 26 years as principal bassoonist. He retired from the Army in 2013 and is now writing full time and performing as a freelance musician in Central Florida. As an avid movie lover, Chris was unable to turn away the 50-inch Samsung DLP TV that arrived at his door one day, thus launching him irrevocably into an obsession with home theater. Dissatisfied with the image quality of his new acquisition, Chris trained with the Imaging Science Foundation in 2006 and became a professional display calibrator. His ultimate theater desires were realized when he completed construction of a dedicated cinema/listening room in his home. Chris is extremely fortunate that his need for quality audio and video is shared and supported by his wife of over 25 years. In his spare time he enjoys riding his recumbent trike at least 100 miles per week, trying out new restaurants, going to theme parks and spending as much time as possible watching movies and listening to music. Chris enjoys bringing his observations and discoveries about every kind of home theater product to as many curious and well-informed readers as possible. He is proud to be a part of the Team and hopes to help everyone enjoy their AV experiences to the fullest.