The Forty-Year-Old Version (2020)

We loved Radha Blank's snappy script, honest acting, and creative directing that had us laughing out loud at her semi-autobiographical telling of the humiliations and insights of a smart Black woman (named Radha Blank) struggling to make it as a New York playwright and considering becoming a rapper. She's backed by Peter Kim as her best friend and agent Archie, Oswin Benjamin as hip-hop producer D, and more. The cast also includes her class of Harlem high school students, self-important theatre producers––one white, one Black––and a pair of female theatre-goers who bring to mind the old men in the balcony at The Muppet Show.

Shot partly in her own apartment, with her own brother in a cameo, it's in black and white 35mm, save for a few still photos. Blank's late mother Carol Blank's art is featured.

There's no composer, but Spotify has an "official playlist." That playlist doesn't include the two songs listed on imdb as being co-written by Blank's father, jazz drummer Roger Blank, for his group Melodic Art-tet. I found his web page with three tracks. One song that Radha raps is on Apple Music. She wrote all of the lyrics to her raps.

Blank credits producer Lena Waithe for helping her make this breakthrough movie. Waithe was last blogged for writing Queen & Slim. 

Before this, her feature directorial and screenwriting debut, Blank directed and wrote a TV movie that I didn't see, wrote three episodes of the series She's Gotta Have It, produced nine, and co-produced ten. She has won the Sundance Directing Award for this movie and has lots of nominations and wins as well. Kim has a couple dozen credits on screens big and small, as well as Broadway and off-Broadway roles. This is Benjamin's debut.

Don't turn off the TV when the credits begin. You will be rewarded.

Rotten Tomatoes' critics are hopping with us, averaging 98%, which its audiences, not so much. Jack and I urge you to try this version, which we streamed on Netflix on Tuesday.