Shanghaiist: Movie Review: My Blueberry Nights

Monk

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 02:33:56 +0800

I was also really disappointed by this movie. It's got all the trademark WKW effects, yet somehow it doesn't gel at all. Even worse, it's frequently downright boring. I read an interesting review which had, I thought, an excellent theory -- that the mystery and poetry of WKW's style is somehow a manifestation of the mystery and poetry of Hong Kong. Think of the winding alleys, the staircases all over the city, the melancholy inflections of the Cantonese voice-overs. In My Blueberry Nights, instead you have the wide-open plains, the straight streets, the flat voices of most of the characters, especially Nora Jones. As a result WKW's methods seem contrived; they come off as artificial or unconvincing. I've also read that WKW really wanted to make a movie in America and in English. Let's hope he quenched his desire, learned his lesson, and grabbed the next flight back to HK.

MF

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 04:37:47 +0800

I was really surprised as soon as Norah Jones opened her mouth. After hearing her sing, I never would have expected her to have such an unpleasant voice. I can't explain what it was that made me dislike it so much. It was sort of grating and unpleasant -- it made me think of a bad 80's movie, like Flashdance or something. I had the same problem with Natalie Portman. I finally turned off the film during her segment. (I do intend to give the film another chance, though, to really think about it.)

Andy Best

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 11:17:19 +0800

Im a long term WKW fan right from his debut As Tears Go By. To be a WKW fan is always a love/hate thing. Happy Together is a high point and everyone knows Chungking Express. But then you have Fallen Angels - literally CKExpress's off cuts. As tears Go By itself was inferior to Benny Chan's A Moment of Romance at the time. I prefer Days of Being Wild to the later stuff like 2046 too. Peijin, what do you think of Ashes of Time? I saw Blueberry Nights on it's second day in the theatres here. I don't mind the opening scenes in the diner but once it goes on the road it lost me. It's defo a WKW movie though. Also, I was accidentally in Starbucks in Shanghai Yingcheng on the opening night and I saw him (WKW) come into the foyer and do some interviews etc. Fanboy.