Forty Shades of Blue

Stars: Rip Torn, Dina Korzun, Darren E Burrows, Andrew Henderson

Director: Ira Sachs

The title's certainly right. This is not the movie to see if you're feeling down. Living with much-older, womanising music legend Alan James (Torn), Russian beauty Lara (the slightly ethereal Korzun) has borne him a son, now three.

Although bored with her life, she accepts that she has much to be grateful for.

When Alan's estranged son Michael (Burrows) returns home for the first time in years, worrying about the rocky state of his own marriage, sexual tensions gradually rise. Michael is soon contemplating a seduction of Laura, on which he works hard, kissing other women and beating up men in clubs in displays of his frustrated desire.

After she finally succumbs, the louse goes back to his spouse, leaving Laura (and Alan, who eventually finds out) devastated. Very familiar territory here in a rather stately-paced and depressing yarn that breaks little new ground. You keep hoping someone will commit suicide but they don't.

David Quinlan

USA 2006. UK Distributor: Artificial Eye. Color by Du Art.
110 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: 15.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 2, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 1.

Review date: 10 Jul 2006