The Upcoming
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema
      • Movie reviews
      • Film festivals
    • Food & Drinks
      • News & Features
      • Restaurant & bar reviews
      • Interviews & Recipes
    • Literature
    • Music
      • Live music
    • Theatre
    • Shows & On demand
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
  • What’s On
    • Art exhibitions
    • Theatre shows
  • Tickets
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Fund us
    • Contact us
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
  • Special events
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • Tumblr

  • RSS


CultureCinemaMovie reviews

Five

Five | Movie review
29 June 2016
Isabelle Milton
Isabelle Milton
Avatar
Isabelle Milton
29 June 2016

Movie and show review

Isabelle Milton

Five

★★★★★

Release date

26th June 2016

Certificate

UPG121518 title=

Links

FacebookWebsite

Beginning with impressive opening shots of a young woman fishing in a Thailand beach paradise, Five becomes a fast-paced comedy that manages to entertain, despite an unconvincing plot. Written, directed by and starring Igor Gotesman, it follows five childhood friends as they bumble their way through jobs, university and relationships. Julia (Margot Bancilhon), the only female member of the group, is secretly in a relationship with one of the friends while another, Timothée (François Civil), pines after her. Samuel (Yves Saint Laurent’s Pierre Niney), who lives off his wealthy father, manages to find them all a lavish flat in the heart of Paris. Everything seems perfect until Samuel is cut off when his father learns he has been attending acting classes instead of medical school. In desperation, he takes a job as a valet and sells drugs on the side, and soon the group is saddled with four kilos of marijuana to sell or they face eviction.

All this sets the scene for an easygoing buddy comedy that owes much to similar American films such as The Hangover and Superbad. A series of gross-out jokes, drug mishaps and low-key run-ins with Banlieues criminals are set to a cheerful pop soundtrack that keeps the pace brisk, even when the plot takes one of several implausible turns. While it is difficult to feel sympathy for the spoiled Samuel, who turns to drugs not out of tragic circumstance but to support his carefree, playboy lifestyle and those of his friends, the talented young cast bring the five highly individual characters to life, and are introduced in a hilarious opening montage.

Gotesman is said to be a fan of American director Judd Apatow, and indeed Five contains some disgusting moments and sexual humour that would make even Seth Rogen squirm. However, due to their previous collaborations, Niney, Gotesman and Civil have an easy, lived-in chemistry that means all the jokes, situations and twists seem to work perfectly. The film leaves its young characters in the middle of nowhere, with an unknown future but with friends they can count on – something that many people in their twenties will undoubtedly relate to.

★★★★★

Isabelle Milton

Five is released in selected cinemas on 26th June 2016.

Watch the trailer for Five here:

 

Related Items@igorgotesmanreview

More in Movie reviews

Happy Death Day 2U

★★★★★
Musanna Ahmed
Read More

A Private War

★★★★★
Cristiana Ferrauti
Read More

The Kid Who Would Be King

★★★★★
Musanna Ahmed
Read More

Jellyfish

★★★★★
Laura Jorden
Read More

Instant Family

★★★★★
Musanna Ahmed
Read More

Monos

★★★★★
Mary-Catherine Harvey
Read More

If Beale Street Could Talk

★★★★★
Guy Lambert
Read More

All Is True

★★★★★
Guy Lambert
Read More

Boy Erased

★★★★★
Mersa Auda
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Movie and show review

Isabelle Milton

Five

★★★★★

Release date

26th June 2016

Certificate

UPG121518 title=

Links

FacebookWebsite

Tickets

Theatre tickets

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Babylon Beyond Borders at the Bush Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Rip It Up: The 60s at Garrick Theatre
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • Johnstons of Elgin autumn/winter 2019 collection presentation for LFW
    Fashion weeks
  • Demons
    ★★★★★
    Berlinale
  • Happy Death Day 2U
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Kalissi autumn/winter 2019 collection catwalk show for LFW
    Fashion weeks
  • UNDERAGE autumn/winter 2019 collection presentation for LFW
    Fashion weeks
  • Margaret Howell autumn/winter 2019 collection catwalk show for LFW
    Fashion weeks
  • Jeremy Loops and James Hersey at the Roundhouse
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • A-Jane autumn/winter 2019 collection presentation for LFW
    Fashion weeks
  • Jeremy Loops and James Hersey at the Roundhouse
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • An interview with Piranhas (La paranza dei bambini) director Claudio Giovannesi
    Berlinale
  • “I write my books and my articles to carry out my own revenge against those who try to silence me, to shut me out”: An interview with journalist and author of Piranhas (La paranza dei bambini) Roberto Saviano
    Berlinale
  • Berlin Film Festival 2019: Awards predictions and highlights from the festival
    Berlinale
  • Armour
    ★★★★★
    Theatre

Instagram

Something is wrong.
Instagram token error.
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Fund us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • What, when, why

Copyright © 2018 FL Media Ltd

Coldplay bid farewell to Britain at Sentebale concert with Prince Harry at Kensington Gardens | Live review
Faith Healer at the Donmar Warehouse | Theatre review