My Blueberry Nights (2007)

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

Director:

Kar-Wai Wong (as Kar Wai Wong)

Writers:

Kar-Wai Wong (screenplay) (as W.K.W.), Lawrence Block (screenplay)

Stars:

Norah Jones, Jude Law, Natalie Portman

4 nominations.

Cast

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

Storyline

Elizabeth's heart is broken. For solace, she drops in late at night a few times at Jeremy's diner for blueberry pie a la mode; they talk. Once, he watchers her sleep, her head on the counter. Abruptly, she leaves New York City to get away from her pain. She works a couple of jobs in Memphis. There, a heart-broken cop is drinking himself into oblivion, his ex occasionally showing up where he drinks and Lizzy works. Then, she's in Nevada, working at a casino where she uses her savings (she wants a car) to stake Leslie, a busted gambler, in a high rollers' game. After, Beth drives Leslie to Vegas where Leslie's estranged father lives. Broken relationships. What about Jeremy?

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Plot Keywords:

foodie | americana | female friendship | female bonding | road trip | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Spain] Official site [Spain]

Country:

Hong Kong China France USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 November 2007 (France)

Also Known As:

El sabor de la noche

Filming Locations:

Arcade Restaurant - 540 S Main St, Memphis, Tennessee, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$74,146, 6 April 2008, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$866,778, 13 July 2008

Company Credits

Production Co:

Block 2 Pictures, Jet Tone Production, Lou Yi Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Wong consistently revised existing scenes and added new scenes to the script, usually at the last minute. Jude Law had described it as "a living story that's still being decided."

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Goofs

When Sue Lynne has one final confrontation with Elizabeth at the diner, she pays Arnie's tab and says "don't forget about him" but her lip movements don't match the words she's saying.

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Quotes

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

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits play over melting ice cream drizzling over blueberry pie, while the font is blueberry colored.

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Connections

References In the Mood for Love (2000)

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Soundtracks

The Greatest
Performed by Cat Power
Written by Cat Power (as Chan Marshall)
Courtesy of Matador Records
Published by Multitude Music LLC (BMI)

User Reviews

Soothing road trip for Wong Kar Wai fans

A young woman, getting over a relationship, travels across America to earn money and see the country.

I found this to be hypnotic, soothing experience, much like In The Mood For Love. It really does set up an atmosphere that makes you feel like you're really there. I think it's a pretty hollow film, which has turned a lot of people off, but i think there's enough there on the surface. I think the film looked great - the colors and charming set design. Jones was pretty decent, Kar Wai wisely filling the film with interesting characters/actors so she doesn't have to carry the whole film. Natalie Portman seems a little miscast (she looks barely a day over 20 so i don't know why she plays characters out of her depth), but i found Strathairn and Rachel Weisz heartbreaking and Law hasn't been so appealing in years. A nice surprise considering my low expectations.