Or can I..? First murmurings regarding this, Wong Kar Wai's first full-length English feature, have not been favourable and it includes two of my least favorite acting performers, Jude Law and Rachel Weisz. And the trailer looks more than decidedly dodgy (see below and judge for yourselves). That said... My opinion of Law is improving, if gradually, after a solid performance in The Talented Mr Ripley, AI and a recent second viewing of Road To Perdition (though I still don't share my colleague's high opinion of Law in that film). And, after all, this is Wong, my favorite director working today. It will surely have all the trademarks of dazzling cinematography, brilliant, snappy editing, and stunning performances. However, losing Tony Leung for Jude Law is not a way to win me over!
On the flip side, casting the impossibly beautiful Norah Jones (cast your glance right) does go someway to offsetting my Leung withdrawal syndrome (and apparently he's stunning in Ang Lee's latest, to be previewed soon). Jones looks like a film star and, as with Faye Wong in Chungking Express (and, later, 2046) this could be an inspired piece of casting. It might also stink, badly, but time will tell. Expect languid, dreamy, romance under neon lights and multi-dimensional characters. Let's just hope the actors are up to it.Despite all that I've written, this is Wong and I'll be salivating right up to the moment I walk into the screen. He's given me too much joy and pleasure for me to become cynical just because he's decided to make a film in America and for me not to be excited about it. I am. Very.
See what I mean about the trailer? Or not?
Oh, and where, oh where, has (cinematographer and Wong stalwart) Christopher Doyle gone!!!!
7 comments:
Saw it earlier this year and pretty bad. Other than Rachel Weisz and David Strathaim who both gave pretty good performances, the rest of the acting is not very good at all. Natalie Portman was miscast, Jude law is not in the film very much at all and Nora Jones is really not an actress.
Other than Weisz and Strathaim, the film itself is forgettable.
Thanks a lot for the comment!
Oh dear, not promising, I've been hearing a few worrying things. Just kind of hoped Wong could do for Norah Jones what he did (does) for Faye Wong, still, I'll go give it a try. Do you like his other films at all?
I have not seen any of his other works, sorry. Hopefully its better than what i have seen here with this film.
No need to apologise!!! Was just interested how it compared. I hope this doesn't put you off Wong, though, he's made some truly dazzling and original films. Happy Together is my absolute favorite and I watch it over and over, but Chungking Express is probably where I'd recommend a start, and, to be honest, it's not far behind and easily an A+ film. Would love to know what you think. Wong deals with love better than any director I've ever seen, I'm convinced of that, his characters just seem so real and the romance aches as strongly and as deeply as it does in real life, so I hope Blueberry hasn't totally put you off.
Thanks again for commenting!!!
They said three things those that perfectly complement the direction of Wong Kar Wai are: Tony Leung, music and the cinematography of Doyle. I do agree with this just for the first two things. Tony Leung is my favorite actor especially when he's in Wongs' films, he's very charming. As well as the music, truly bring out the mood of his films. But in the point of cinematography, do you think Doyle is being overpraised?
I know most people are wondering, without Doyle, what the cinematography of this film will be. In my view, Doyle is a talented DP who knows what the director (Wong) wants and he could make it great. I didn’t mean that Wong directed Doyle but many films by himself without Wong, the cinematography is just “good” but not “great” or “outstanding”. Like his last film that I’ve just seen ,“Paris, Je t’ aime” (segment "Porte de Choisy”), I was quite confused in his visual and also story!
Back to My Blueberry Nights, heard that this film aims to US market, is it true? Anyhow, I'd like to see it no matter what the critics say and really hope that I will see the original Wong’s style in his first full-length English feature.
* From the trailer above, I felt the music was sooooo Hollywood.
Some very interesting points!
Heard quite a few people say that My Blueberry Nights is very much aimed at an American audience, but, like you, I will go and see it with a completely open mind, as I said, I owe Wong that as he's just given me so much pleasure.
Christopher Doyle, hmmm. Difficult. I really, really, like the cinematography for Lady in The Water, in fact, I thought it was stunning and possibly the best looking film of the year and, other films he's done away from Wong (like Last Life In The Universe, for example) have also been stunning. That said, I didn't think all that much to the cinematography in Infernal Affairs. And, I also hear that My Blueberry Nights looks a lot like 2046 and there are certainly suggestions of that in the trailer. Very interesting thing to debate, I'm interested to see how it turns out.
The other thing that, for me, really characterises Wong films is the aching, burning, romance and love that stays with you long after you've left the screen and resonates deep within your soul. That will be the crucial thing for me, in the end. Can the cast live up to the likes of Tony Leung, Andy Lau, Leslie Cheung, Maggie Cheung and Faye Wong? I think Leung, rather than Doyle, will be the big missing piece here. There are few such involving love stories as that portrayed in Happy Together and that, in large measure, was down to Leung (and Leslie Cheung). But I'll keep my fingers crossed. We'll have to talk about it again when we've both seen it!
About Doyle's issue...nothing much, it just annoys me when people overpraised him.
Anyway, will wait and see...
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