FORTY SHADES OF BLUE

Year: 2005
USA: Vitagraph Films / Capital
UK: Artificial Eye
Cast: Rip Torn, Dina Korzun, Darren Burrows, Red West, Paprika Steen, D'Army Bailey, J Blackfoot, Jerry Chipman, Jim Dickinson, Stuart Greer, Andrew Henderson, Charles J Ingram, Charly Kayle, Howard Keltner, Arielle Kight, Todd Malta, Mary Jean McAdams, Emily McKenna, Donald Meyers, Nancy Ellen Mills, Jenny O'Hara, Joanne Pankow, Charles 'Skip' Pitts, Stan Prachniak, Forrest Pruett, Sid Selvidge, John Boyd West
Director: Ira Sachs
Country: USA
USA: 108 mins
UK: 107 mins
UK Certificate: 15 contains strong language and sex
USA Release Date: 7 October 2005 (Limited Release - Los Angeles)
USA Release Date: 28 September 2005 (Limited Release - New York)
UK Release Date: 30 June 2006


Synopsis

FORTY SHADES OF BLUE tells the story of Laura, a young Russian woman living in Memphis with a much older rock n' roll legend, Alan James, and the personal awakening she experiences in the wake of her unfortunate affair with his estranged son, Michael, who returns home for the first time in many years.

In the bars and bedrooms of this very contemporary city, a love triangle forms, illuminating the hearts and souls of these three tangled lives.

Starring veteran actor Rip Torn as Alan, Darren Burrows as Michael, and Dina Korzun as Laura, the woman caught between them, FORTY SHADES OF BLUE was shot on location in Memphis, Tennessee - the hometown of director/co-writer Ira Sachs - and where he made THE DELTA, his first feature film.

The remarkable FORTY SHADES OF BLUE, Ira Sachs long overdue follow-up to THE DELTA shows the director skilfully blending psychological sensitivity and a naturalistic feel for the locale in this elegant, intimate story of a love triangle. An outstanding score of original music and obscure '60 Memphis soul tunes perfectly matches each character's emotional struggle.

FORTY SHADES OF BLUE won the Grand Prize at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. Starring veteran actor Rip Torn as Alan. Rip Torn's magnetic performance is a return to the kind of lead roles he was known for in the 70s, in films like PAYDAY, THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, and the seminal COMING APART. For Dina Korzun (who plays Laura), it's her first role in an American film, a stunning follow up to her award winning performance in Pawel Pawlikowski's LAST RESORT. Darren Burrows plays Michael.