The Forty-Year-Old Version (2020) User Reviews

Rap meets drama

[MarcoParzivalRocha · 7/10 · 13 November 2020]

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.

A Blank Canvas

[jadepietro · 7/10 · 15 October 2020]

GRADE: B-

THIS FILM IS RECOMMENDED.

IN BRIEF: A flawed but intriguing look at an artist's journey.

JIM'S REVIEW: Artists are often told to make art based on what you know and that sage advice is exactly what Radha Blank did in her autobiographical indie debut entitled The Forty-Year-Old Version. This engaging comedy, filmed mostly in b&w and on a the smallest of budgets, depicts an artist's journey with many interesting characters and stops along the way.

Ms. Blank directs, writes, and stars here, making an impressive triple-threat debut. She plays Radha, a struggling playwright unable to find success she drifts into the world of hiphop, her real passion. A 30 year-old prodigy, Radha has gone nowhere in these past ten years, except for her teaching job which helps to pay the bills. As she wrestles with self-doubt and depression, her latest artistic project improbably gets green-lighted for Broadway. This contrived plot device leads her and moviegoers to this question: Will the artist stay true to her own vision or sell out? It's a fictitious version of herself and any artist's on-going dilemma. Ms. Blank uses her real life experiences and unique talents to convey those two conflicting worlds quite effectively.

As an actress, she is a commanding screen presence with some droll comic timing. Her screenplay creates an authentic world, one step from poverty and living off the gritty streets of Harlem. Her dialog has sparks of insight and wit. However, her depiction of her Caucasian characters in the film is slightly offensive though humorous. There is a a reverse Uncle Tomism subtly on display as these white stereotype characters become mere bobbleheads, walking cliches of ineptitude and silliness who are out of touch with the world and more concerned about their white privilege. In her directorial debut, Ms. Blank establishes her narrative well, but lets too many scenes go on past their expiration date, including a rap smackdown sequences that honors the craft but adds little to the story. The movie felt padded with too much attention to atmosphere and not enough on the plot structure. A shorter film version itself or more judicious editing by the filmmaker could have made the movie have greater impact.

Peter Kim as her gay friend/agent Archie and Oswin Benjamin as D, her rapper friend and muse, provide strong support as does Reed Birney as J. Whitman, in a thankless role as the pompous producer of her play.

The Forty-Year-Old Version is as crude and raw as its profane language and liberal use of n-words, but there is much to say and hear from a promising and gifted artist. One looks forward to her next project.

Charming

[aliaveryonly-17405 · 8/10 · 18 February 2021]

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.

Had more hopes for this.

[spike-51616 · 6/10 · 13 October 2020]

When I first saw this advertised I thought oh wow a refreshing comedy tackling some interesting concepts.

Sure there parts which are touching, funny and insightful but I was left with a sense of disappointment. There were characters who could done with more substance to them and development in the story as a whole. And the chance to developer her art form further was a change that was missed. It could of taken the movie in a refreshing direction.

Overall it worth a watch as it does address some genuine and authentic life experiences.

Loved this movie

[bellmattl · 10/10 · 23 August 2020]

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.

Why blackNwhite ?

[ks-60500 · 6/10 · 7 November 2020]

Probably the Roma Oscar lead to the decision. It makes the movie more impressive ? I don't know. It's a good production for a 40 yo woman story. Is it the black white cuz the lighting can be cut?

wonderful movie

[jimreinhart · 10/10 · 10 October 2020]

As a 70-year-old white guy I got to say: wasn't too sure this would be my cup of tea. So glad I saw a high meta score and gave it a shot. It covered so much ground. The star and the supporting cast were fabulous. great humor. Enjoy the movie !!

Rahda must be seen in this pleasant dramedy. She does it all.

[JohnDeSando · 19 October 2020]

As director, writer, and star of The Forty-Year-Old Version, Rahda Blank creates a powerful amalgam of creative energy and anguish. On the one hand her drama quietly fuses the artistic aspirations of an emerging Black artist with the realities of cultural and fiscal mandates (like paying the rent) that a Broadway play attaches to itself; on the other hand, is plain old turning 40!

Her play within this film, Harlem Ave, would have been a frenetic tale of joy and sorrow for Blacks emerging from underprivileged circumstances to successful artistry in their own Harlem hood (think a young Spike Lee). Yet, the reality is it will turn out not like that in part because the white producer, Josh Whitman (Reed Birney), forces on her his cultural poverty-porn and happy ending tropes without the benign tensions that cultural differences bring to the creative process. Finding her voice is a struggle given the strong forces against her.

The ending is concerned with the misfit between reality and fantasy, the Black experience, and the white dream of harmony. Radha's connection with D (Oswin Benjamin) is a refreshing bit of old-fashioned romance amidst the not so glamorous artist's life.

The rest of the film deals with white dictates because it focuses on Radha's own dream of either writing her play and compromising her integrity or switching over to a career in hip-hop. In that way, the film is a sobering commentary on the challenges of mounting a play in any place, any time, or any color.

Radha's teaching drama technique to young teens has perhaps the richest meaning for Radha and her film: It allows her to show her considerable talent to draw out the best in her students and in herself. Although teaching is not her passion, it ironically shows her best, more than playwrighting or hip-hop could ever do.

Although in real life Radha Blank has written for Netflix's She's Gotta Have It and Fox's Empire, in The Forty-Year-Old Version she reflects her brooding dreams of a much bigger struggle. Given her charisma and remarkable wit, Radha is bound to make it very big as she almost does in this almost-autobiography of her talented rise.

Good film

[shashrvacai · 7/10 · 12 May 2021]

Good film, well directed and good story. Do recommend.

Great Movie

[leopoldfrank-1 · 10/10 · 10 October 2020]

This movie is absolutely fantastic. It may be 2 hours long but it felt like 1 hour 20. Charming and amusing from start to finish. Really good comedic acting, great direction, full of brilliant one liners and if this was the 90s I'd be buying that OST on cd. 100% a must watch.

The Forty-Year-Old Version

[CinemaSerf · 6/10 · 31 August 2023]

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.

FYOV

[deborah-99172 · 10/10 · 10 October 2020]

Dang, Radha Blank slays in this movie about a black woman playwright trying to keep her voice and be a success. It made me think about so many of my friends in decades past -- talented black women playwrights, directors and actors who made brilliant work but weren't heard or known on a large scale. This movie speaks for all of them. It speaks to me, as an aging creative person. Watch it for the sharp dialogue, compelling characters and joy of seeing a talented black woman saying her truth.

I Didn't Like this Film for a Plethora of Reasons

[emryse · 6/10 · 25 February 2022]

I wasn't all too impressed with this film, the cast was good, it had a few funny scenes and I liked a few shots but it was too long, the story didn't interest me that much and it was packed full of logical inconsistencies.

Radha Blank is supposed to be a playwright who turns to rap after struggling to get anything produced for 10 years and feeling as if her new play is being changed by people who don't understand what she is trying to say and compromising her artistic vision. I have a few problems here, firstly the rapping. It's a funny idea that Radha turns to rap but we are then supposed to believe she is good at it. I must disagree, it sounds basic and uninteresting, I feel I could have done better and that is really saying something. This could have been the point, maybe she isn't as good at writing raps as she is plays but she gets more personal satisfaction from rapping so doesn't care, but we see her getting fans and the film seems to want us to believe she is talented, I just didn't see it. Talking about her being good at writing plays though we never see her being good at that either, we only see her play after she thinks it is no longer her own, now while you may expect an audience to hate this amalgamation they don't. They all enjoy it, so did the meddling improve it? Since I never saw Radha give a hint at being a talented rapper or even a good writer I assume that this meddling was really productive and improved her play.

The film was filled with these issues and even if I chuckled at a couple of jokes it wasn't enough to save it from constantly irritating me, after all that I still haven't finished complaining though. When I said the cast was good I should have said most of the cast, I thought a large chunk were just hamming it up and felt like they were in the wrong film. As well as that I thought almost every character apart from Radha was lacking in motivation or depth, no one else was fleshed out and there were some characters like Radha's brother who served as nothing but an exposition dump. He is in two scenes throughout the film, one in which he doesn't speak and the other where he does nothing but tell Radha information that will be important to her character development in the next 30 minutes.

I didn't much enjoy this film, largely I think because the writing wasn't that good. I checked while writing this review and saw that Radha actually wrote the film so I guess that makes sense. I enjoyed the first half a bit more than the second and there were a couple of scenes I did enjoy but in the end I still feel like I have a hundred complaints but can't even be bothered to mention them all because I'm so fed up with this film. I feel bad because I'm sure Radha is a lovely person but the highest I can give this is a 6/10.

Forty year old version

[marmar-69780 · 5/10 · 13 October 2020]

Forty year old version was somewhat dissapointment to me,i just coudnt find any character that was actually likeable or symphatic and because of that i wasnt invested in a story as i wanted when i started to watch this film.Story wasnt nothing great or brilliant but in a first and second act it still had captivating touch around it,but as we were going towards third one everything was starting to become stale and tiresome.I mean who wants to hear a middle aged woman complaining all the time that she is 40 and that she didnt become what she wanted,also im not a good rap expert but honestly she wasnt even that good in such staff,this film was in end a let down in a way

A fun movie

[richard-1787 · 8/10 · 11 October 2020]

I very much enjoyed this movie. The female lead, who also wrote and directed the movie, tells a funny if sad story of a middle-aged black playwright who cannot get her works produced until she finally agrees to sell out and rewrite one of her works to make it conform to the East Side white liberal view of what Harlem must be like. (Imagine the world of New York East Side pseudo-intellectuals that Woody Allen has been lampooning for decades.) Her compromised play succeeds - with an audience of white East Side intellectuals - and then she has to decide where to go from there.

There are wonderful scenes in this movie. There were others that didn't hold me.

I wish more time could have been devoted to how the original play was changed/compromised during rehearsals.

Still, I definitely recommend this movie.

Spectacular

[faer_kr · 9/10 · 11 October 2020]

A dramatic comedy with rap. It is about a woman of almost 40 years old who in the twilight of her failure as a playwright tries to enter the world of rap. The photography is spectacular. In black and white. The address is good. Quality. Entertaining It stays almost all the time, only in two or three lapses it becomes slow. Due to its duration at times it can be a bit overwhelming. The verses are at the moment. Good performances. It talks about how sometimes fears hold us back, how we passively live without experiencing those talents we think we have or what we can exploit. How sometimes you have to sell your talent for pennies to eat. Explorative. Light sexual jokes and others not so much, as well as situations, sarcasm and intelligent comedy. Try to be profound without being pedantic. The problem is that inside everything it becomes hackneyed by how they try to put a little romance in it. An extraordinary option if you like smart movies or rap.

surprisingly initmate

[d-claiborne · 9/10 · 11 February 2021]

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.

FEEL GOOD, WHOLESOME AND REAL

[srwtucker · 10/10 · 8 October 2020]

This is what cinema is about, I don't want say too much other than this movie is gonna make you feel whole again! I went in blind you should too

This movie is OK

[tyquezb-13107 · 2/10 · 13 October 2020]

This is a mildly interesting movie about a woman trying to reach her ambitious goals before middle age. The struggle of the character is the typical one of mid life frustration that everyone goes through in their own way between forty and fifty. As an artist, the protagonist seems to want to be famous more than she wants to produce great art and this is demonstrated by her willingness to use any form or style that might bring her popularity. There are some funny scenes, but overall I didn't find this movie especially deep or insightful.

Every woman's rap

[heidiknum · 10/10 · 10 October 2020]

Radha's "this is forty" rap was about my life! Loved this film! Magical. I'm sure more creative artists can relate to this than one would think.comforted me.

Thoughtful portrayal of the artist

[hellenharvey · 9/10 · 12 October 2020]

Excellent performances and a theme that crosses racial lines

A really enjoyable watch

[2Civ · 10/10 · 18 June 2022]

I'm pretty open about grading indie and low budget films on a curve, and this one is a great example of why. It's the type of film that would never get made in a studio system because it's not necessarily for every audience, but for the people it's for, it's a delight, a funny central character, a thought-provoking premise, and a worthwhile way to spend an afternoon or evening in front of the screen.

The idea of growing tired of failing swimming upstream or by being yourself and finally "selling out" has been explored before, but the indie aspects of the film free it to explore it with more layers than a Hollywood film. And, I'll just say it, many of the films that have come before on this topic (particularly the indies) have been made by and in the style of the very kind of film THIS film defines as "selling out" ... overly pompous, overwritten, majoritarian NY pseudo-intellectuals will never miss a chance to tell you how their "true' art is suppressed by popular culture. That alone -- a middle-aged black playwright who sells out to appeal to precisely those sensibilities and, having succeeded, faces a crossroads--makes this fresh.

On my adjusted scale, subtracting anything that was simply a matter of the limitations of budget and other resources faced by indie filmmakers, this is a 10.

Cult classic status!

[chefmcdonald08 · 10/10 · 11 October 2020]

I don't know where to start with this movie. I loved it so so much that I've watched it twice now, back to back. I told my husband, my 26 year old son (he raps and makes beats so I know he will appreciate it), a few friends and a cousin about it and insisted that they too watch this wonderful film. By the way, this is a film, not a move, a film. I never really paid enough attention to recognize the difference, but seeing this film, helped to clarify the difference for me.

I related to Rhada on a level like no other. I'm a forty eight year old black woman, who's been married for 26 years and have five children. I'm going through some things...kids getting older, marriage breaking down, and me coming into myself. This movie though, it changed me, and with a quickness. Today my husband said "you're carrying yourself differently", my kids kept starring at me and I'm sure wondering what's up with mom. Nothing my dear loves, mommy just feels like she's got this ageing thing, this life thing. Because after having watched this film, I feel like I do! I loved EVERYTHING about it. The acting, the chemistry and the flow gave it a vibe that most movies these days are missing.

Rahada if you read this review, gurl, you knocked it out the park! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, you changed how I see myself and my future. Also thanks a lot, now I'm looking at the younger brotha's like hmmmmm, LOL.

I really do thank you for creating this film, it has truly been a blessing, and came to me at the right time. Like a previous reviewer stated, that they feel like a better human being today for having seen this film, well so do I and we owe that to you and your fabulous cast. xoxox to you all!

In closing, do yourself a favor, and watch this delightful, uplifting and life changing FILM, you will be a better human being for it!

Where Did the Adults Go?

[ligonlaw · 3/10 · 5 December 2020]

The film industry has given audiences of cop shows a dump truck load of profanity over the past four decades, but the coarse language of high school children in this black and white indy film is somewhat shocking. I haven't been in high school for many years, but, if I were teaching, the language would be cleaner. Or the students would have to go somewhere else to vent,

The music is great, and the camera work is exceptional.

The acting isn't good, and the script is flat. I would not recommend this film to anyone. Comedy is hard, and this film did not make me laugh.

Fight for your voice.

[thatfilmperson · 8/10 · 25 December 2020]

If you liked: Birdman

"The Forty-Year-Old Version" is a 2020 black-and-white dramedy about the mid-life crisis and artistic struggles of an African-American playwrite, Rhada Blank. This is her actual name, she is the lead actress, director and scriptwriter; and the film is a dramatized version of her own experiences to achieve artistic fulfillment. The whole time as I am writing this I feel that I am not qualified or informed enough to do so; but it is a film I want to share, so go easy on me.

Rhada is approaching forty, it's been 10 years since she wrote anything that has been recognized (or paid her rent), and her mother passed about a month ago; all this goes on to fuel her insecurity and doubt about her life-accomplishments and her future. This crisis pushes her to explore new possibilities, as she decides to try herself out as a rapper, simultaneously signing a contract to write a "Hollywood-friendly" Harlem play.

Now, the plot sounds a bit boring and ridiculous, and it is ridiculous but not boring. First of all, it's a hilarious sarcastic comedy. It even seemed a little pretentious at the very beginning because of the amount of sarcasm, but you quickly pick up on it and laugh your booty out for the rest of the film. The amount of sarcasm is so overwhelming, it almost seems like a parody of a comedy if that makes sense, which gives the film it's very own style. The dramatic messages are also quite powerful; it's the first time I recognized the rude, raw, cruel self-reproach in somebody's rap lyrics which made sense; spitting harsh truths as you call it. Her play is being heavily edited, and she obviously doesn't like both this and herself, for allowing such a thing. She is torn between feeling like a complete artistic pushover without a real voice, and justifying it as simple "survival" during hard times. All that mixed emotion is mirrored in her music. This movie doesn't follow the usual narrative of suddenly experiencing great success against all odds. It is more interested in the little details and is all the better for it.

The message is clear: don't be conformist to what anyone thinks true or write. Say only what you know is true. One word of truth shall outweigh the whole world. Find your own vision. Fill your own void. Find your own voice. I recommend this to anyone who has some kind of artistic aspiration, and to anyone that wants to broaden their film outlook.