Review of Forty Shades of Blue (2005) by Michael K — 31 Dec 2007

Sundance award winning film about a veteran rock producer's much younger partner's emotional turmoil. When her husband's son arrives it forces Russian actress Dina Korzun (who is excellent in this) into clashes with her own thoughts and feelings.

I know this won an award at Sundance and it wasn't a bad film but I'm not sure I'd watch it again. The performances are good and the directing paced and framed well and at times the story does go in unusual directions.

It's not for people who prefer to substitute MTV commercials for cinematic entertainment and is geared more for those who enjoy watching subtle, restrained performances. I think that what makes it difficult to enjoy a piece like this is the human factor applied to a social situation that is a bit too far removed for your average Joe to connect and sympathise with and I think that's why it connected at Sundance.