Lift

Synopsis: Lift is a short documentary style film in which director Marc Isaacs sits patiently in a lift in a old block of flats for days on end casually filming the people whom enter. Over the film he gets to know the people of the apartment block by questioning them once they are in the lift, it is a very intimate look into a small part of the residents lives.


Review: I enjoyed the film as it was an unusual piece that gave the viewer a different look into the lives of apartment block residents, at times you feel sorry for some of the residents as their quality of life seems poor, some of them mention how mundane and boring their lives are making the audience think about the quality of life living in the block allows them to achieve. Over the piece lots of mini story's are told directly to the camera in the lift, we see people of numerous days and watch their lives unfold. The film was simple and didn't seem to be trying to put across any message, I think its open for interpretation really what the point of the film is, which I like. I think it was filmed in a very clever way in order to portray the stories of the people of the lift, for example one man mentions to the camera that he is going out with his friends for a drink, we see him later that night in the lift drunk bemoaning the fact that he hasn't pulled. We later learn he was drinking to celebrate his new job.


Style: I'd say that this documentary's style is torn between interactive and reflective. Interactive as the director is sometimes asking the people in the lift questions and almost interviewing them to find out more about their life but also reflective as over the piece the director gets to know the members of the block because of his time in the lift and we see him a go on a journey as he gets more friendly with the residents on the block.


Awkwardness: I feel that the proximity of the camera to the people in the lift is awkward but helps with the story, the situation may seem awkward at first but helps break down social norms and gets the members of the lift to open and talk more to each other and the camera. The story feels natural as we see the residents in what is seemingly their own habitat.


Would it be better done differently?: No I don't think so necessary obviously a lot of planning went into it but not as much as would have went into a typical piece from the factual genre, a lot of the content was up to chance. Their was a big reliance on the people of the block to provide the content and it was obviously a gamble that paid of as they were very unique and had lots to offer to the film.