Director: Victor Levin
Writer: Victor Levin (Screenplay)
Starring: Anton Yelchin, Berenice Marlohe, Olivia Thirlby, Lambert Wilson, Frank Langella, Glenn Close
Plot: An aspiring novelist enters into a relationship with a woman, though there’s just one catch: She’s married and the couple can only meet between the hours of 5 and 7 each evening.
Runtime: 1 Hour 35 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: Delightful Look at Relationships
Story: 5 to 7 starts as New Yorker Brian (Yelchin) searches the city for stories, finding them on park benches, before he notices a beautiful woman Arielle (Marlohe) who shares a cigarette with him, wanting to see her again, he does only to learn that she is married with children and the two get to spend two hours together.
The two do start an affair between the hours of 5 and 7 which sees them even meeting each other’s family including Arielle’s husband Valery (Lambert) and Brian’s parents Arlene (Close) and Sam (Langella).
Thoughts on 5 to 7
Characters – Brian Bloom is a struggling author in New York City, he likes to search for stories around the city, he ends up meeting a beautiful French woman, taking a chance that she has one that he hasn’t seen before, he gets caught up in the middle of an unconventional relationship which sees him being welcomed into the family despite her being married, he is caught up in what could be, he doesn’t want to see the bigger picture, even though his work starts to get recognised only for him to know he has found a new story. Arielle is a married French woman that is in New York, she spends time looking for strangers in what is her free time, she enjoys her time with Brian despite being married with children, she shows Brian a different life and culture, which sees the two different cultures being about what could have been. Jane is a woman that Valery is seeing on the side, she knows the situation that Brian is in with Arielle’s husband. Arlene and Sam are Brian’s parents that don’t approve of his decision, you do feel like they might have had a bigger impact on things too, but we don’t see it.
Performances – Anton Yelchin once again shows the world what we are missing since his death, he gives us such a grounded performance that will make it easy to identify with. Berenice Marlohe is wonderful too, with the two having excellent chemistry through the film. The supporting cast all get their scenes and don’t put a foot wrong in this film, they will get the messages they need to over in the smaller scenes.
Story – The story here follows two strangers that meet in New York, they get involved in a complicated relationship which sees them needing to play by rules, with the clash of cultures being questioned at all times. This is a story about relationships, stories and talking to people. We do get to see how sometimes things can become more complicated than they need to, learn the chances can’t always be taken, because of certain things holding people back and people will to just be friends at times. This shows us that you never know what you could miss in life, if you don’t look and see what is in front of you.
Comedy/Romance – The comedy in this film comes from the days of enjoyment you see Brian and Arielle have together, they make each other laugh more than the rest of their lives, the romance here shows how you could meet somebody that make you see life in a different way, one whose vision you want to spend your life with.
Settings – New York is a setting I have always said makes a beautiful location and one that will always be perfect for a romantic backdrop.
Scene of the Movie – Tasting test.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – The aging on Brian, looks to dramatic.
Final Thoughts – This is a wonderful look at a relationship people can have, it shows us just how you could meet somebody out of nowhere and the chemistry between the two leads is fantastic.
Overall: Lovely drama.
