My Blueberry Nights | Review

Familiar landmarks that are representative of all things Americana also become the exploratory terrain for a chock full examination of lonely people in destitute places. This generations’ best Hong Kong filmmaker extends his visual candor into overly-welcoming coffee shops, eggs over-easy diners, we close at 3 a.m. establishments and artificial backdrops of slot machine havens, but much of the film’s tonality and the flurry of insignificant characters (apart from Nathalie Portman’s involvement) will fail to meet the expectations of even Wong Kar Wai’s most ardent fans. Unlike the hunger found in his masterpiece pairing of Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung back in 2000, My Blueberry Nights isn’t meditative enough to truly merit the label of ‘yearning’ for something or someone you can’t have – and it is definitely too muddled in its tone. Though Kar Wai is thematically conjoining all the characters and their bouts of loneliness, some viewers might find it difficult to navigate the many introductions and then interruptions between the protagonist and her disadvantaged companions.

Chicken soup and the sniffles are replaced by you guessed it – blueberry pies and a broken heart. While the first sequences that are spit out of this romantic drama are forceful in their metaphoric and symbolic implications (a fish bowl filled with house keys that open new doors of possibilities and soul food as a symbolic band-aids) Wong and Lawrence Block’s give their script an abrupt knee jerk reaction – it sends the lead and the full narrative in the waiting arms of middle of the road, simple-minded America and away from Jude Law’s involvement – his character miserably fails to convince us that he is a full-out welcoming committee and some better than average male in touch with his sensitive side.

Kar Wai places featherweight actress better known as singer Norah Jones outside of her comfort zone – acting is not her forte but perhaps the strategy here is to keep the emotional baggage out of the text but bring out the naturalism in her and maximize the glow from her soft eyes. As the storyline shifts from one space, job and setting to the next the supporting ensemble cast plays an increasing more important yet complex role – thus Jones’ part becomes slightly less significant – shots of her staring in the direction of the other troubled souls that are mirroring her character’s self-pity enhance the notion that her pain is drowned out by other people’s pain. The David Strathairn and Rachel Weisz combo don’t contribute storylines with a pulse – and the lack of subtext can’t be disguised by WKW’s offering of usual lush color interiors and first rate art direction. Look or the atmospheric shots through glass windows.

While Kar Wai’s first foray into English language is troublesome from the start, that’s not to say that the opening film at the Cannes film festival is unappealing – there are signs of brilliance such as in the manner that Kar Wai holds and retains a specific shot and the use of Kudos to Cat Powers’ signature song works well within the tapestry. Despite the absence of regular DOP Christopher Doyle (Darius Khondji is on board for this one), here a Sleeping Beauty-like kiss shot between Law and Jones is shot from above and is easily the one of the better, best-shot screen kisses in the recent memory. The film also kicks a sudden jolt towards the end once Portman graces the screen – her energy might trigger a sense of enthusiasm in those who’ve haven’t been totally turned off which is too bad since when it comes time to revisit the book-ended parting shot it still feels artificially consummated.

Review on May 16th, 2007. 111 minutes.

Cannes Film Festival.

Rating 2 stars