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Parents' Guide to

My Blueberry Nights

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Sweet drama is stylish but not very memorable.

Movie PG-13 2008 90 minutes
My Blueberry Nights Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

age 17+

Based on 1 parent review

age 17+

Boring...

Good acting but boringly slow story/plotline. My basic/daily routine is more exciting than this lady's boring life (her life isn't interesting enough for a movie). Also has significant violence and drinking/gambling.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

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).

Movie Details

  • In theaters: April 2, 2008
  • On DVD or streaming: June 30, 2008
  • Cast: Jude Law , Norah Jones , Rachel Weisz
  • Director: Wong Kar Wai
  • Inclusion Information: Female actors, Indian/South Asian actors
  • Studio: Studio Canal
  • Genre: Drama
  • Run time: 90 minutes
  • MPAA rating: PG-13
  • MPAA explanation: mature thematic material including violence, drinking and smoking.
  • Last updated: October 8, 2022

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