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Movies / Upcoming / Forty Shades of Blue
Forty Shades of Blue

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Forty Shades of Blue (2005)

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Reviews Counted:50

Fresh:31

Rotten:19

Average Rating:6.3/10

Consensus: In its portrayal of a woman's awakening and disillusionment, Forty Shades of Blue is as nuanced as its title would suggest.

Rated: 15

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:30-06-2006

Synopsis: FORTY SHADES OF BLUE tells the story of Laura, a young Russian woman living in Memphis with a much older rock 'n roll legend, and the personal awakening she experiences in the wake of her... FORTY SHADES OF BLUE tells the story of Laura, a young Russian woman living in Memphis with a much older rock 'n roll legend, and the personal awakening she experiences in the wake of her unfortunate affair with his estranged son. Alan James is a legend in Memphis, a white man who produced black music back in the 60's and 70's, the heyday of Memphis Soul. Now in his later years, he's still living the high life in a comfortable house in the right part of town. Alan lives with his girlfriend, Laura, a Russian beauty he met on tour in Moscow. Laura spends most of her time alone or raising their three-year-old son, Sam. A stranger in Memphis, she lives an easy, alienated life, Alan also has a grown son, Michael, with whom he has a complicated relationship fueled by jealousy, disappointment and anger. When Michael returns home for the first time in many years, the initial hostility he radiates towards his father's "girl" develops into something much more, and a messy, dangerous affair ensues. In the bars and bedrooms of this very contemporary city, a love triangle forms, illuminating the hearts and souls of these three tangled lives. Starring veteran actor Rip Torn as Alan, Darren Burrows as Michael, and Dina Korzun as Laura, the woman caught between them, FORTY SHADES OF BLUE was shot on location in Memphis, Tennessee – the hometown of director/co-writer Ira Sachs – and where he made THE DELTA, his first feature film. Screened at the Sundance and Toronto festivals, THE DELTA was distributed in the US by Strand Releasing. Rip Torn's magnetic performance in FORTY SHADES OF BLUE is a return to the kind of lead roles he was known for in the 70s, in films like PAYDAY, THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, and the seminal COMING APART. For Dina Korzun, it's her first role in an American film, a stunning follow up to her award winning performance in Pawel Pawlikowski's LAST RESORT. The Producers of FORTY SHADES OF BLUE are Margot Bridger (THE DELTA, JESUS' SON, SIDEWALKS OF NEW YORK), Donald Rosenfeld (HOWARD'S END, REMAINS OF THE DAY), Jawal Nga (THE CLEARING), Mary Bing and Sachs. The film was developed and produced in association with Mirage Enterprises. Executive Producers are Geoff Stier (UP AT THE VILLA, POLISH WEDDING) and Diane Von Furstenberg, whose clothes are worn by Korzun throughout the film. --© Official Site [More]

Starring: Rip Torn, Darren E. Burrows, Dina Korzun, Paprika Steen

Starring: Rip Torn, Darren E. Burrows, Dina Korzun, Paprika Steen

Director: Ira Sachs

Director: Ira Sachs
Studio: First Look

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Reviews for Forty Shades of Blue

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; UK critics are listed first)
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This plodding mood-piece is as emotionally engaging as a paint catalogue.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
06/15/07
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Impressively directed, low-key drama that really gets under your skin, thanks to strong performances from its three leads.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
06/29/06
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
06/30/06
Empire Magazine
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
01/27/07
Steve Rose
Steve Rose
Guardian [UK]
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N/R

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Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
07/01/06
BBC
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Sight and Sound | comment Comment
09/28/06
Sight and Sound
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A rare serving of adept regional indie cinema.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
09/27/05
Michael Atkinson
Michael Atkinson
Village Voice

A nicely tuned American indie drama in a minor key...

Full Review Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer | comment Comment
11/27/05
Sean Axmaker
Sean Axmaker
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

The film's haunting final freeze-frame offers a visual paradox: Laura is suspended in time yet finally free.

Full Review Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) | comment Comment
09/30/05
John Beifuss
John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)

Might just as well be called Forty Shades of Boredom.

Full Review Source: Spirituality and Practice | comment Comment
10/13/05
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice

Plodding and predictable.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
02/05/05
Duane Byrge
Duane Byrge
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Forty Shades of Blue is wonderfully unconventional, truthful and touching.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
11/25/08
Dan Callahan
Dan Callahan
Slant Magazine

Has the plaintive, lyrical feel of a classic Southern short-story.

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
10/14/05
Peter Canavese
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

As messy and exhilarating as life.

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
10/25/05
Walter Chaw
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central

[Torn's] acting so well he not only creates this character, but makes him into an object lesson.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
11/03/05
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
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You can't take a movie like this one from a veteran like Torn, who is terrific, but Korzun anchors the movie with dense subtlety and watchful detailing.

Full Review Source: San Diego Union-Tribune | comment Comment
10/21/05
David Elliott
David Elliott
San Diego Union-Tribune

A jolt of backwoods moonshine whiskey injected into the veins of the atrophied American relationship drama.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
10/06/05
Scott Foundas
Scott Foundas
L.A. Weekly

Korzun . . . is a non-presence, a brittle facade . . . a sketchy screenplay [adds up to] Zero Depths of Feeling . . . a flat, tasteless, faux-Euromance.

Full Review Source: Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada) | comment Comment
05/11/06
Brian Gibson
Brian Gibson
Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)

Forty Shades of Blue hits you like a shot of moonshine whiskey. Right in the gut, with a buzz that just keeps going.

Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
11/03/05
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; UK critics are listed first)
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Latest News for Forty Shades of Blue

January 31, 2005: "Forty Shades of Blue" Takes Top Award at Sundance
Ira Sachs' "Forty Shades of Blue" took the grad prize for drama at Sundance, the New York Daily News reports. "Hustle & Flow," directed by Craig Brewer,... More...

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