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Rachel Weisz as Sue Lynne

For all that, My Blueberry Nights doesn't quite work. It is a slow, uneven script populated with thin characters and a lack of emotional gravity. While the director's lavish style and prowess behind the camera remain intact, his work loses much of its exoticism in English. Far from home, Wong's powers seem to wane. He certainly still knows how to seduce us, but can he keep us?

There's no disputing the fact that Norah Jones is one of the most talented and luxuriant singer/songwriters in the business. Her day job is certainly still her strongest. Jones gives a bland, uninspired performance, which never hooks us despite the fact that it does get better as the film goes on. We can never relate to her character because we are all too aware of the untrained Jones working so incredibly hard at looking like she knows what she's doing. It's not that Jones is a bad actress, per se, just an untrained one.

My Blueberry Nights is like a short film that goes on for too long. It is a flimsy, if inoffensive, addition to Wong Kar Wai's canon, an insignificant diversion at best.

>Talk About It

1. Trust is something Elizabeth has little of, yet she discovers it with the most unlikely of friends. Why is it so important that we trust and seek out the best in others, no matter how many times we have been hurt?
2. People are mirrors who define us, Elizabeth says in the narration, and with each reflection we understand ourselves that much better. Do you agree? Why or why not?
3. When Elizabeth asks Jeremy why he doesn't simply throw away all the sets of keys customers have left at the diner over the years, he responds that to throw them away would close certain doors forever. What does he mean?
4. When Elizabeth asks Jeremy why no one ever buys the blueberry pie, he says, "There's nothing wrong with the blueberry pie, just people make other choices. You can't blame the blueberry pie, it's just no one wants it." What does he mean in light of the film's title, and why, after he is done speaking, does Elizabeth immediately order a slice?

The Family Corner

My Blueberry Nights is rated PG-13 for mature thematic material including violence, drinking and smoking, but not language or sexuality. Though Natalie Portman's outfits are revealing at times, a brief barroom brawl is primarily responsible for the rating.

Photos © Copyright The Weinstein Company

© Brandon Fibbs subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

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