THE MAN UPSTAIRS is a low-key proto-siege film, very British in feel with some of the angry young man/kitchen sink look and atmosphere to it. With little in the way of scenery and incident, it's very much an actor's showcase, the success or failure resting on the skills of the ensemble cast. Thankfully, they're up to the job, with the likes of Bernard Lee, Donald Houston and Kenneth Griffiths excelling in the various roles they inhabit. The real stand-out is, of course, Richard Attenborough, delivering another internal and sensitive performance as a man driven to the edge by the whims of modern society. In that respect this reminded me a little of the Joel Schumacher film FALLING DOWN, albeit with a much more restrained and old-fashioned approach.
Review of The Man Upstairs
