What can we expect for the US release of My Blueberry Nights? According to the Weinsteins, the US version will differ greatly from the version which screened at Cannes (which I have seen and was rather lukewarm toward). This seems to be a trend for Wong Kar-wai. He caused a minor scandal a few years back when the Cannes release of 2046 was delayed due to it "not being ready." As far as I know, the version most of the world has seen of 2046 is not the version which screened at Cannes (to decidedly mixed reviews). Please correct me if I'm wrong. Maybe Wong's problem is that he hasn't been able to successfully follow up his breathtaking In the Mood for Love and has been even more unsatisfied with his last two films than most of his fans have been. May I offer a suggestion? Less Natalie Portman, less Rachel Weisz, more Chan Marshall. Okay, so I'm bias. Normally I would oppose of those slimy Weinsteins fucking with the film, but if you saw the film I did, it could certainly use some improvement. If anyone has more information about the US release of My Blueberry Nights, don't hesitate to share. My Blueberry Nights begins its limited release on 4 April, and here's the US poster below, which is probably the lousiest out of all the international posters for the film, which you can see at this link.
My original review of My Blueberry Nights, the non-US cut, can be found at this link.
2 comments:
I don't know that it has to so much to do with being dissatisfied with the films as his work process, working from a loose script and letting the film evolve as it goes. The evolution doesn't end just because the screening date is set. Personally, I think 2046 is his second best film, behind only Fallen Angels. It's a lot less clear and narratively concise than In the Mood for Love, but in its throw everything at the screen and see what sticks style, it finds some really deep and powerful emotion.
As for Blueberry, I saw the version that was released on Hong Kong DVD and loved it. I'm assuming that was the earlier Cannes cut, and I'm not too excited about what Weinstein will cook up for the 'American only' cut. I think it's a minor work, but there are some really incredible moments there. More than anything else, it demonstrates that WKW just works on a totally different level than the rest of the filmmaking world, he speaks film as a different, more emotional language, so even weaker WKW is much better than virtually everything else out there.
But, I totally agree about more Chan Marshall. Her scene with Jude Law was one of the high points of the film.
See, Patrick, I initially loved 2046, but found it to dissolve really easily in my mind than In the Mood for Love or Happy Together.
Certainly a weak WKW film is better than most of what's around the multiplexes, but a weak WKW film is also a lot more disappointing than realizing something like PS I Love You sucked. Not to say that My Blueberry Nights sucked, but you know what I'm saying. As I stated in my review, there felt like something was missing in translation.
And, yes, the scene with Chan Marshall and Jude Law was my favorite moment in the entire film.
Thanks for reading Patrick.
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