My Blueberry Nights (2007)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Kar Wai Wong

Writers (WGA):

Kar Wai Wong (screenplay) &
Lawrence Block (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

28 November 2007 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

How do you say goodbye to someone you can't imagine living without?

Plot:

A young woman takes a soul-searching journey across America to resolve her questions about love while encountering a series of offbeat characters along the way.

Plot Keywords:

Blueberry Pie | Pie | New York City | Diner | Casino

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Jude Law	...	Jeremy
Norah Jones	...	Elizabeth
Chad R. Davis	...	Elizabeth's Boyfriend (as Chad Davis)
Katya Blumenberg	...	Girlfriend
John Malloy	...	Diner Manager
Demetrius Butler	...	Male Customer
Frankie Faison	...	Travis
David Strathairn	...	Ofcr. Arnie Copeland
Adriane Lenox	...	Sandy
Rachel Weisz	...	Sue Lynne Copeland
Benjamin Kanes	...	Randy
Cat Power	...	Katya (as Chan Marshall)
Michael Hartnett	...	Sunglasses
Natalie Portman	...	Leslie
Michael May	...	Aloha

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material including violence, drinking and smoking.

Runtime:

Argentina:93 min

Country:

Hong Kong | China | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12A | South Korea:12 | Finland:K-13 | Singapore:PG | Taiwan:PG-12 | Germany:6 | Ireland:12A | USA:PG-13 | Australia:M | Brazil:10 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | Argentina:13 | Sweden:7 | Peru:14

Filming Locations:

Caliente, Nevada, USA

Company:

Block 2 Pictures

Trivia:

Norah Jones's film debut.

Quotes:

Leslie: You're hopeless...
Elizabeth: You're hopeless too!

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2008-04-12)" (2008)

A mixed bag

This is a film of contrasts. A good story let down by poor dialogue; some great acting as well as some mediocre and good direction marred by irritating and indiscriminate "motion blur" filming.

The film has the elements and sometimes the feel of a charming love story, a modern-day fairy tale. The gentleness and innocence of the two main characters is in sharp contrast to the world inhabited by the secondary characters, where addiction to alcohol, gambling, desperation and suicide are the order of the day.

Jude Law as Jeremy seems to have lost the plot. His half-hearted attempts at a Manchester accent are woeful. Why bother with the accent anyway? He is a coffee shop owner in NY, and his origins have no bearing whatsoever on the storyline. However, his natural charisma and his gentle demeanour do suit the role, and he pairs well with Norah Jones as Elizabeth.

As for the flaws; is there ever total silence outside in the street in NY at night? And would customers really give their house keys to the person behind the counter in a coffee shop, to be kept in a glass jar? And would customers ever be known not by name, but by what they eat? And is there anyone in Manchester actually called Jeremy? As for Norah Jones, although she is on screen for most of the film, she does not have a lot to do or say – which is just as well really. She spends most of her time watching in silent, doe-eyed admiration, as she is given a master class in acting by the "real" actors.

The *real" actors here are David Strathairn and Rachel Weisz. Strathairn gives a memorable, finely crafted performance as Arnie, who is a cop by day and an alcoholic barfly by night. Rachel Weisz as Sue Lynne his beautiful, wild, estranged wife makes full use of her short time on screen to create a wayward, tumultuous character at once sensuous, and sensitive. Between them they steal the show.

But gripes aside, the director does manage to create an appealing, if flawed, film. It's a mixed bag. It's good in parts.