My Blueberry Nights (Wong Kar-wai, 2008)

Region 1 Genius Products (USA)
NTSC, 2.35:1 16x9 enhanced
95 minutes
Audio: DD 5.1 English
Subtitles: Optional English SDH, Spanish
Extras: Making My Blueberry Nights; Q&A With Director Wong Kar-wai; stills galleries; theatrical trailer; previews for other movies

Released: 1 July 2008
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During a Q&A session (included on this DVD), Wong Kar-wai talks about how Americans like sweet things, that even the Coca-Cola is sweeter in America than it is in other countries. He uses this line of reasoning to explain why he gave My Blueberry Nights a happy ending. The movie concludes with a picture-perfect overhead shot of two smooching faces lying on a diner counter. It is undeniably romantic and stirring--the stuff of dreams for sure.

The ending may be a bit of a surprise to viewers who’ve grown accustomed to the melancholy of the director of In the Mood for Love. 2046 positively beats you over the head with its thudding, forbidding elegiacism. Thus, Wong’s stated reason for going with a happy ending seems like a cop-out.

Really, though, the ending isn’t the movie’s biggest problem. Rather, on top of being old hat, My Blueberry Nights is as stuffed with clichés as the pies are with filling. A young woman who’s luckless in love (singer Norah Jones in her acting debut) goes on a road trip from NYC to Las Vegas. On the road, she sends postcards to a diner owner (Jude Law, who’s practically a cliché all by himself). It’s quite obvious that the two belong together, but like the oh-so-zany lovers in Serendipity, they feel that they have to run away from each other in order to be together.

Then we have several montages comprised of Wong’s favorite editing affectation, the stutter-step slo-mo. Used once or twice for emphasis, the stutter-step slo-mo is great. Used over and over and over again...what’s Wong trying to convey? That every other moment is important? This is no different from gun-and-edit, which tries to make every scene “exciting”.

The heroine makes a stop in Memphis, where the movie is at its best and worst. The clichés are thicker here than anywhere else, but Rachel Weisz and David Strathairn create heartbreaking and believable characters that are at least worth one’s time. The Memphis section might’ve worked quite well as a stand-alone short on its own.

Natalie Portman continues to lack credibility in any capacity; this time around, she’s a hardened poker player with mannerisms that appear to have been picked up by a teenager from a teacher in charge of the school musical. If I ran into Portman’s character in real life, then I’d be tempted to head for NYC, too.

Movies don’t have to be “realistic”. They can be filled with nothing but “artifice”. However, there has to be some sort of “emotional truth”. My Blueberry Nights is easy on the eyes but sorely lacking when it comes to making connections with your heart or mind.

Video:
I may have had reservations about the movie, but the 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen’s visuals are quite rich and enjoyable on DVD. You get an excellent transfer that does justice to the deep hues, dark shadows, and explosion of Vegas colors that Wong assembled. One can absorb My Blueberry Nights as a purely visual experience much more than a narrative one.

Audio:
Music and careful attention to sound editing are important to Wong’s style, though quite frequently, his movie’s mixes are deceptively “laid back”. My Blueberry Nights has one of those “laid back” DD 5.1 English tracks. Audio is not used to “amp up” the emotions, and most music cues reflect the languid nature of the narrative’s many sleepless nights. There are numerous surround-sound effects, though they’re not designed to call attention to themselves.

Once in a while, the moviemakers opted for jaunty songs with clear bass presence, but they’re not so boomy as to cause you to scramble for your remote’s volume dials.

Optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles support the audio.

Extras:
Upon loading, the disc plays previews for other movies.

“Making My Blueberry Nights” is a bland, undistinguished hodgepodge of film clips and talking heads interviews.

You get more substance from the “Q&A With Director Wong Kar-wai”, though Wong repeats himself between the two extras.

You also get two stills galleries and a theatrical trailer.

--Miscellaneous--
An insert advises consumers about the availability of Miriam Collection titles.