My Blueberry Nights

Starring: Norah Jones, Jude Law, David Strathairn, Rachel Weisz, Natalie Portman
Directed by: Kar Wai Wong
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama, Romance
2007

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A woman (Norah Jones) finds solace after a break-up in the form of a cafe owner (Jude Law). She decides to leave NYC and head out into the country, where she befriends a cop (David Strathairn) and his wife (Rachel Weisz) and a gambler (Natalie Portman). While she's gone, she hopes to discover something about herself, before finally realizing it's time to come home.

Review:

Tim: I was surprised to find that I really enjoyed this movie. I didn't expect that, at least not to the degree that I did. What is frustrating about director Kar Wai Wong's first English-language movie is that there are just a few things that prevent this movie from being great. All the key ingredients are present, but somehow, it comes up just short.

Now, that is a shame, because the rest of the cast is fantastic. I have never seen Jude Law so likeable. He is perfectly cast in his role, and he brings so much to the film. I loved every scene with him in it. David Strathairn is given a great role, allowing him to showcase his acting talent. Rachel Weisz doesn't have too many scenes, but she's terrific in all of them. I enjoyed watching Strathairn and Weisz on screen together. Natalie Portman does a good job in her role, as well. All these tremendous actors and their impressive performances work to make Norah Jones look even worse by comparison.

I'm not sure exactly what made me like this movie so much. There's not much glitz and glamour- this is a small, independent movie that is stripped down to the basics. That works for the movie, giving it a true-life feel. There is also something very interesting about a woman leaving home to do some soul searching and coming back a changed person. Everything in the movie works to further this agenda, and it is very interesting to watch. I also loved the "blueberry nights" explanation, which simply adds to the charm. Although, I have to mention that Law's method of removing ice cream was weird, a bit disturbing, and made me like the movie less.

Still, My Blueberry Nights is a very well made movie. I believe that with a better actress than Norah Jones, this movie would have been incredible. It is still entertaining and impactful, but not nearly as much as it otherwise would have been.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: As Tears Go By, Paris, Texas