A writer waiting for his big break in New York, Brian always believed that in this city people will always be just twenty feet away from some they know or someone they're meant to know. Outside the St. Regis, he spots and befriends a French girl Arielle who soon reveals that she is only available weekdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Soon Arielle opens up that she's a 33-years old married mother of two, which makes Brian uncomfortable with the fact, even though Arielle explains that in her culture this is commonly accepted. Brian distances himself from her, but his effort only lasted for three weeks. Haunted by curiosity and longing, Brian surrenders and enters into a relationship with Arielle. One day, to Brian's confusion and controlled shock, Arielle's husband Valerie meets him and asks him to come to dinner. Arielle tells Brian that Valerie knows about them because she told him. And that she also knows that Valerie also has a mistress named Jane.
At the dinner Brian is introduced to some of New York's successful figures and Jane. Going home together, Jane tries to talk Brian out of his discomfort of his relationship with Arielle. Brian introduces Arielle to his parents. They are shocked by the Arielle's situation but then calmed as Brian's mother sees Arielle's love for Brian. One day, Brian's big break finally comes as he gets his story awarded by The New Yorker magazine. Jane's publisher gets interested to publish Brian. But that night Brian calls Jane asking suggestion about good jewelry. On their next meeting, Brian proposes to Arielle and she accepts after a moment of hesitation. She tells him to wait for her the next day. That night Valerie visits Brian, and despite he disagrees to it, he leaves Brian and Arielle to their decision, and even gives some money to Brian.
But the next day when Brian comes to meet Arielle, she already left, with only leaving a letter. In it she wrote her history and her decision not to go with Brian. She also asks Brian not to contact her anymore. Brian stayed true to her request and used his despair to write. With this he produced his first novel The Mermaid, which delivers him to acclaim. A few years later Brian is married and has a son, but as he walks he still can't shake Arielle's shadow off his mind. But as Brian and his family walks into the Guggenheim museum, they run into Valerie, Arielle, and their kids. They chat for a while and depart. Brian closes the movie with a monologue saying that one's greatest story is meant for one specific reader.
Having a title of "5 to 7", I first looked at this movie as another pass-time with potential to be artsy and yet comically quirky. But I was so wrong indeed in many aspects. The story is indeed based on the premise of the affair relationship. But the movie nicely uses the French culture to spin that base premise into something questionable and even depicted something that quite the opposite.
But I found that the movie only uses that spin to create its basic layer, just for the story to have its directions and flow. The movie itself, in its grander sense, is speaking about a premise that is best said by Jamie Lannister's words; the heart wants whom it wants. The movie gets philosophical with this, particularly after the final conflict and continued on to the epilogue.
I really like how the movie works everything up to a very good balance. The comedy parts are very neat that they're not rare, yet they're just at the right dose that they'll bleed out of the whole story. Yet they are also still able to stir up some laughs. I particularly like the scene where Arielle openly talks about herself as a mother of two to Sam and Arlene.
The movie can also get very artsy, particularly in the beginning parts, where it has tons of nice camera angle plays and zoom plays. I also like how the movie can have the camera to fluidly follow the characters as they move, and not always resorting to frame cuts.
The acting overall is quite a good one in my opinion. Anton Yelchin did very well in portraying his character's anxiety about the discomfort of his relationship, but also is being driven forward by his longing for Arielle. Berenice Marlohe at the other end can quite balance the relationship part, although I must say I find it quite weird that she grinned more than enough for her parts. Lambert Wilson and Olivia Thirlby provided nice story extensions that completed the needed angles, and Frank Langella and Glenn Close tops the whole movie with their comedic parts.
For me 5 to 7 (2014) deserves a strong 7 out of 10 score. If it is still in your cinemas, I'd recommend you to go and see it. If only Berenice Marlohe's acting was better, I'm sure the movie would've scored more.
At the dinner Brian is introduced to some of New York's successful figures and Jane. Going home together, Jane tries to talk Brian out of his discomfort of his relationship with Arielle. Brian introduces Arielle to his parents. They are shocked by the Arielle's situation but then calmed as Brian's mother sees Arielle's love for Brian. One day, Brian's big break finally comes as he gets his story awarded by The New Yorker magazine. Jane's publisher gets interested to publish Brian. But that night Brian calls Jane asking suggestion about good jewelry. On their next meeting, Brian proposes to Arielle and she accepts after a moment of hesitation. She tells him to wait for her the next day. That night Valerie visits Brian, and despite he disagrees to it, he leaves Brian and Arielle to their decision, and even gives some money to Brian.
But the next day when Brian comes to meet Arielle, she already left, with only leaving a letter. In it she wrote her history and her decision not to go with Brian. She also asks Brian not to contact her anymore. Brian stayed true to her request and used his despair to write. With this he produced his first novel The Mermaid, which delivers him to acclaim. A few years later Brian is married and has a son, but as he walks he still can't shake Arielle's shadow off his mind. But as Brian and his family walks into the Guggenheim museum, they run into Valerie, Arielle, and their kids. They chat for a while and depart. Brian closes the movie with a monologue saying that one's greatest story is meant for one specific reader.
Having a title of "5 to 7", I first looked at this movie as another pass-time with potential to be artsy and yet comically quirky. But I was so wrong indeed in many aspects. The story is indeed based on the premise of the affair relationship. But the movie nicely uses the French culture to spin that base premise into something questionable and even depicted something that quite the opposite.
But I found that the movie only uses that spin to create its basic layer, just for the story to have its directions and flow. The movie itself, in its grander sense, is speaking about a premise that is best said by Jamie Lannister's words; the heart wants whom it wants. The movie gets philosophical with this, particularly after the final conflict and continued on to the epilogue.
I really like how the movie works everything up to a very good balance. The comedy parts are very neat that they're not rare, yet they're just at the right dose that they'll bleed out of the whole story. Yet they are also still able to stir up some laughs. I particularly like the scene where Arielle openly talks about herself as a mother of two to Sam and Arlene.
The movie can also get very artsy, particularly in the beginning parts, where it has tons of nice camera angle plays and zoom plays. I also like how the movie can have the camera to fluidly follow the characters as they move, and not always resorting to frame cuts.
The acting overall is quite a good one in my opinion. Anton Yelchin did very well in portraying his character's anxiety about the discomfort of his relationship, but also is being driven forward by his longing for Arielle. Berenice Marlohe at the other end can quite balance the relationship part, although I must say I find it quite weird that she grinned more than enough for her parts. Lambert Wilson and Olivia Thirlby provided nice story extensions that completed the needed angles, and Frank Langella and Glenn Close tops the whole movie with their comedic parts.
For me 5 to 7 (2014) deserves a strong 7 out of 10 score. If it is still in your cinemas, I'd recommend you to go and see it. If only Berenice Marlohe's acting was better, I'm sure the movie would've scored more.