MOVIE REVIEW
“5 to 7”
Grade: C
Starring Anton Yelchin, Berenice Marlohe and Olivia Thirlby. Directed by Victor Levin.
Rated R for some sexual material. Check listings for theaters. 1 hour, 37 minutes.
Bottom line: An interesting directing debut
By Betsy Sharkey
Los Angeles Times
“5 to 7” stars Anton Yelchin and Berenice Marlohe in a falling-in-love fantasy defined by clashing cultures, complex problems and lots of amused expressions.
It’s springtime New York. Brian (Yelchin) is a struggling writer in his 20s. Arielle (Marlohe) is a former French model, now in her 30s, married to a French diplomat and the mother of two. Their chance encounter is sparked by a cigarette break. Soon Brian is ready to upend his life for her; she’s in love but not so inclined. For all that draws them together, their nine-year age difference and an ocean of attitudes divides.
The clock is always ticking on their affair, which according to rules Arielle and her husband, Valery (Lambert Wilson), have hammered out, can happen only between 5 and 7 on weekdays. In theory, that agreement keeps their dalliances from damaging the marriage.
So you know right away where to look for the coming conflict.
The banter between Brian and Arielle is easy and often amusing. But despite all the tangled sheets and entwined bodies during assignations at the St. Regis hotel, the relationship never moves beyond the look of puppy love.
Brian’s adoring; Arielle’s indulgent.
Meanwhile, Marlohe does enigmatic and sultry with a quiet grace, whether as a duplicitous siren worth James Bond saving in “Skyfall” or in New York with a budding novelist. The French actress has one of those faces the camera truly loves, so it’s not much of a stretch to believe the men around her fall hard.
Arielle not only takes Brian into her bed but outside of the 5-to-7 window, into her home as part of the arrangement she and Valery have. So there are sophisticated dinners with the likes of social activist Julian Bond, New York Philharmonic’s Alan Gilbert and noted French chef Daniel Boulud, playing their erudite selves. Valery’s 5 to 7 love also has a seat at the table, a promising book editor named Jane (Olivia Thirlby), who will factor into Brian’s future.
The conversations between Brian and his more traditional parents, Arlene (Glenn Close) and Sam (Frank Langella), often prove the film’s most interesting. A clearer sense of his internal conflicts begin to emerge as he defines and defends his romantic feelings.
As you might predict, as Brian Bloom’s career blooms, his affair with Arielle hits an impasse. But nothing makes a better topic for a young novelist than a broken heart.
Overall, director Victor Levin has a light touch with his actors, though he is a bit too concerned with patching up Brian’s heart, and he hasn’t figured out how to make sensuality sizzle on screen. Still “5 to 7” is an interesting directing debut that, like Brian, shows promise.
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