Forty Shades of Blue

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Forty Shades of Blue

R

2005

1h 48m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

63%

Tomatometer

49 Reviews

44%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

After moving from Moscow to Memphis, Tenn., Laura (Dina Korzun) feels isolated living a new, privileged life with her boyfriend, Alan James (Rip Torn), a famous music producer. As time passes, Laura becomes increasingly lonely, while James carries on numerous affairs. When James's estranged son, Michael (Darren Burrows), visits for the first time in years, Laura's need for companionship and Michael's strained relationship with his father pull them into a tumultuous affair.

Critics Consensus

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

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Richard Nilsen

Arizona Republic

It contains some very good performances and some finely observed writing.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 2, 2006

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Geoff Pevere

Toronto Star

... both emotionally captivating and elusive ...

Rated: 3/4

Jan 27, 2006

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Nick Schager

Lessons of Darkness

The magnificent Korzun ... [delivers] a performance of internalized anguish.

Rated: B+

Dec 20, 2005

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Felicia Feaster

Creative Loafing

Their script is infused with the romantic highs and lows of a million country songs. But it's the haunting melody, soaked in longing and agony that words can convey only in small part, that really gets you.

Feb 3, 2020

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Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

Just more art house malarkey...

Apr 29, 2009

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

Aspires to tell us something revealing about compromised souls.

Rated: B-

Feb 20, 2009

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Audience Member

The actors did their roles iso as to be believable.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

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Audience Member

Campy in a way that reminds me of Sirk, but the surface suggests something along the line of Altman.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

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Audience Member

The film gets caught up in its own sadness. You appreciate the effort to bring out strong emotions but without any corresponding high, it ends up losing the audience.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

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Audience Member

The absoulute hands down most boring film I have ever experienced.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

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Audience Member

Decent film elevated to a whole new level by an amazing performance by Rip Torn.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

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Audience Member

A cantankerous music star's son visits for an awards ceremony then has an affair with his father's young wife. The highlight of this film is Dina Korzun's morose and oftentimes inscrutable performance; the few moments when her vulnerability shows through - crying in bed after having sex with her husband as an example - are captivating. The film's success, aside from her performance, is the mere creation of a mood, a consistent melancholy that becomes overbearing at times. Indeed, I thought the film was often too morose, too languid. And Rip Torn's character - not necessarily a fault to his performance - was inconsistent. For the first half of the film, he is an indomitable and harsh force, but he suddenly becomes human in the second act, and what once was reminiscent of James Coburn in <i>Affliction</i> turns into a gnarly mess of storytelling. And it can shove its freeze-frame ending up its ass. Overall, <i>Forty Shades of Blue</i> is a performance-driven art film that has damning inconsistencies.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

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Ira Sachs

Director

Rip Torn

Alan James

Dina Korzun

Laura

Darren E. Burrows

Michael

Paprika Steen

Lonni

Red West

Duigan

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Synopsis

After moving from Moscow to Memphis, Tenn., Laura (Dina Korzun) feels isolated living a new, privileged life with her boyfriend, Alan James (Rip Torn), a famous music producer. As time passes, Laura becomes increasingly lonely, while James carries on numerous affairs. When James's estranged son, Michael (Darren Burrows), visits for the first time in years, Laura's need for companionship and Michael's strained relationship with his father pull them into a tumultuous affair.

Director: Ira Sachs
Producer: Mary Bing, Margot Bridger, Jawal Nga, Donald Rosenfeld, Ira Sachs
Screenwriter: Michael Rohatyn, Ira Sachs
Production Co: Charlie Guidance Productions, Flux Films, Tiny Dancer Films, High Line Productions
Rating: R (Language|Sexuality)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 8, 2005, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 10, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $75.2K
Runtime: 1h 48m