The Forty Year Old Version

Available on Netflix.

Written, directed by and starring New York playwright Radha Blank The Forty Year Old Version sees Blank playing a fictionalised version of herself as a struggling playwright. We find Blank heading toward her 40th and still dealing with the death of her mother and the direction of her life. Once highlighted as a future talent she now finds her career stalled as she makes ends meet teaching drama at a local college.

The film follows Blank as she tries to find her artistic voice from resurrecting her theatre career to discovering her talent for rap. The two worlds also force her to struggle between the compromise of traditional theatre versus a community in the shape of DJ D that encourage her to be her authentic self.

There is a lot to like in Blank’s film, it is original and funny. The film takes its time and does move slowly occasionally, but its pace allows it to explore Blanks story fully, her own insecurities about her talent and the relationship with her late mother and brother. But there is also a focus on friendships and loyalty, the challenges of compromise as well as the importance of an openness to ideas.

This is very much Blank’s film and she delivers a warm, humourous and believable performance as this fictionalised version of herself, she is well supported especially with Peter Kim as Archie and Oswin Benjamin’s D.

It’s shot in black and white and that adds to the character of the film. It isn’t perfect though, it is at times overly patient and slow in its storytelling and its humour may not hit for everyone. But it is original and wants to tell a different version of the story that is often told of the world it inhabits.

There is a lot to admire and while it may move too slowly for some, for me it’s well worth giving a try.