My Blueberry Nights - PG-13

Sweet drama is stylish but not very memorable.

Rating: PG-13 for mature thematic material including violence, drinking and smoking. Studio: Studio Canal Directed By: Wong Wai Cast: Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, Norah Jones Running Time: 90 minutes Release Date: 04/02/2008 Genre: Drama

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that this romantic drama, while generally dreamy in tone, takes on some heavy subjects, including adultery, betrayal, and death. Characters also swear ("f--k" pops up infrequently), smoke, drink heavily, and gamble. In one scene, a man points a gun at a woman he claims to love more than anything in the world (except for, perhaps, liquor). A drunk driver is shown slumped over the wheel after a fatal car accident. A kiss that's supposed to be tender feels a little invasive, too.

Families can talk about the relationships in the film. Are there any similarities among them? Any differences? Why does everyone seem so isolated? And, for that matter, why is Hollywood attracted to "seekers" like Elizabeth? Does she learn anything in the end? What lessons does she discover, and how does she apply them to her life?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: S. Jhoanna Robledo

The big headline? Norah Jones can act. As Elizabeth, a woman bereft after a break-up in MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS, she's more than compelling -- she's believable. She leaves her keys at a local café run by Jeremy (Jude Law, swoony as usual), hoping that her errant boyfriend will come and get them. But he never does; meanwhile, a friendship has developed between Elizabeth and Jeremy. But she's not ready for it, so she hits the road, stopping first in Texas, where she closely observes how love can rend two souls -- not soulmates -- asunder, and then in Nevada, where she discovers that bravado only gets you so far.

Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai is clearly talented: He sees the world from interesting angles, filtered through striking colors. But he shows off here, eschewing subtlety for stand-out style. It can be maddening: When a heartbroken cop is metaphorically kicked to the ground, Otis Redding's "Try a Little Tenderness" plays full-blast, then recedes mid-sentence. In other moments, shots of ice cream dripping over pie indicate transitions between particularly sweet scenes.

Had Wai opted for storytelling that emphasized the story rather than the telling, My Blueberry Nights (which debuted at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival) would have been far more endearing. (And, on a superficial note, how many women would really run away from a guy who's kind, listens well, bakes, and looks like Jude Law?!?) As it is, the movie is primarily a showcase for acting, both strong (Rachel Weisz and David Strathairn, as Sue Lynne and Arnie, channel Stella and Stanley from A Streetcar Named Desire) and transcendent (Natalie Portman is tragic as foul-mouthed and yet still somehow regal gambler Leslie).

Fans may want to try Chunking Express, Wai's masterpiece, as well as Once, a more subtle but still hefty romance.

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content A man kisses a woman while she's sleeping; a wife flaunts her boyfriend in front of her estranged husband; some cleavage shots and innuendo.
Violence A drunk driver is shown slumped over the wheel after a fatal car accident. Bitter, searing fights -- some public, some private -- between a husband and his estranged wife. In one instance, the husband threatens her with his gun; in another, he beats her current boyfriend so badly that he needs an ambulance (not much of the actual confrontation is shown).
Language A few instances of "dick," "son of a bitch," "goddamn," and, less frequently, "f--k."
Message
	Social Behavior A young woman who feels disconnected from her present reality goes on a road trip to find herself. She's gentle and kind but unsure of who she is; eventually, in helping others figure things out, she does, too. A moment in which a man kisses a woman while she's asleep is played for romance but comes off slightly creepy (and silly). Total dysfunction between an alcoholic man and his estranged wife, who also likes drinking. Another young woman has a dysfunctional relationship with her father, who may have inadvertently helped her develop a gambling problem. She bends the truth when it suits her agenda.
	Commercialism A casino/hotel name is flashed in a few scenes, highway signs, FedEx, Chrysler.
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco One man is clearly struggling with sobriety (he tries but continually fails), and his estranged wife is also a big drinker. One whole segment of the movie takes place largely in a bar, where Elizabeth works. Jeremy is a major smoker, and a lot of his conversations with Elizabeth (and others) take place while he's smoking out front.