The Forty-Year-Old Version

Wow, am I really leaving the first review? This movie made me laugh (a lot, lots of giggles) and made me think. On a universal level, there are so few movies that address the humor and pains of being 40 (The 30 yos get all the fun) so, anyone who is about to turn 40 will find something to relate to in this movie. But on another level, it made me think about what being a black female playwright and poet is like (I'm a white dude), and did so in a way that made me laugh and feel uncomfortable at the same time. That's a rare quality and I feel like a better human being today for it. So, in short - LOVED IT.

Radha, a screenwriter in her 40's, living day by day, without anything significant in her career, sees in rap music a way to rediscover herself, under the name RadhaMUSPrime.

A dramatic comedy that does its job: makes you laugh, and also reflect and think about life, at different moments.

The narrative is based on the feeling that currently many pre-adults/adults tend to think over and over again, which is their role in society, in the form of professional fulfillment, and on a personal level, like "will I be remembered as a good person?" while struggling with inner demons.

The sarcasm used is well applied, and stands out in the characters who use it.

The black and white photography makes sense, as we are being guided to the end of the film and we see the "bigger picture".

The social critic, about gentrification and the shallow and hypocrite social support by the upper classes in a pretentious way is one of my favorite parts.

Radka is a playwright who has somewhat fallen from grace since her first success and as she approaches 40 is having a sort of mid-life crisis - what is she about? What's it all for? How can she become fulfilled? Well - indefatigable, she goes about setting herself up as a rapper and it becomes quite clear to "D" - the young base track layer that she has some skill at it. He even presuades her to do a live gig so perhaps her rather hum-drum, routine, existence might be about to change for the better... ? Well, simultaneously her agent "Archie" (Peter Kim) is trying to get the rather seedy, gay casting-couch merchant "J Whitman" (Reed Birney) to produce her play and the film juggles her rapping and writing aspirations set against her day-job teaching a disparate bunch of students with attitude and talent - but both need to be controlled! At it's best, this is great - the rapping is potent and poetic; the comedy can be funny - if somewhat predictable; and she is an engaging and likeable character. It is, however, far too long and auteur Blank struggles to maintain the pace and focus of the film for much of what just turns out to be a fairly ordinary tale of a single woman trying to recalibrate. I enjoyed it, but it really could have been doing with a more objective hand at the helm.

This has got a lovely pace, beautifully shot, and keeps on keeping things real - with the delight and courage and struggle and beauty that real life can have. Radha is charming and funny as well as raw, and her relationships - from those on the street corner, old friends and very new ones, the teenagers she works with each week - too.

The plot is not uncommon, an artistic talent in search of true self and caught between commercialism and sincere expression. and yet, the acting, script, direction, editing - it drew me in. i didn't think it would but i quickly found my self caring about her and enjoying her journey, great job on character development for herself and supporting. casting also good. one thing i look for with new/small film, flat spots, where a director or editor lets things lull, creating an unevenness - none here, there is consistency and a rhythm from beginning to end. i can't wait to see what she does next.