My Blueberry Nights

Tags

2000's, David Strathairn, Drama, Jude Law, My Blueberry Nights, Natalie Portman, Norah Jones, Rachel Weisz, Road Movie, Romance, Wong Kar-Wai

Film Title

My Blueberry Nights

Director

Wong Kar-Wai

Starring

• Norah Jones as Elizabeth
• Jude Law as Jeremy
• David Strathairn as Arnie
• Rachel Weisz as Sue Lynne
• Natalie Portman as Leslie

A soul-searching journey across America forms the basis of the romantic and strikingly shot My Blueberry Nights, the first film in the English language from Hong Kong film maker Wong Kar-Wai. There may be some flaws, but they can be put aside as you soak up this road movie of a young woman questioning love and herself.

As the movie opens in New York, a young and forlorn woman named Elizabeth has broken up with her boyfriend after discovering he was cheating on her. Stumbling into a local cafe at night, she finds the Mancunian owner Jeremy, who offers a sympathetic shoulder to cry on. After many of these late-night discussions and consuming of blueberry pie, in which Jeremy falls in love with Elizabeth, she leaves on an unexpected journey, but still keeps into touch via postcards. She wants to find something through her travels across America, mainly love and what she should do. Along the way, she encounters many offbeat characters whose own lives are very troubled and filled with drama. In Memphis, where she works a waitress to get the money to continue travelling, she witnesses the ravages of broken love in the case of alcoholic cop Arnie and his estranged wife Sue Lynne, who flaunts the fact she no longer cares for him. Events in this disharmony soon take a tragic turn. Moving onto Nevada, she meets brazen gambler Leslie, who has underlying pain of her own, and makes her a proposition. If Elizabeth stakes Leslie in a poker game which could be top draw, depending on the outcome Elizabeth could have a prized Jaguar to continue her travels and search for herself.

With the talent of Wong Kar-Wai behind the camera, My Blueberry Nights was bound to be a visually stunning movie. And though there are some shortcomings with the script, this is a movie that is all about mood. He uses the human face as a canvas of emotion and this repeats with Elizabeth’s winsome gaze and Jeremy’s longing eyes forming many beautifully constructed parts. As such, America is shown from an outsiders perspective throughout this film because of the director’s influence. The use of obstructing views such as lights, windows and blinds helps compliment the theme of wanting to understand something but not being able to fathom it. Eye popping colour abounds and creates a neon drenched atmosphere of unabashed romanticism and soul-searching among a host of cross-country events and searches. And I can’t think of a film in recent memory that made food look so passionate. As lashings of cream smother a blueberry pie, you can’t help but be sucked in by the romantic dreaminess at play. Occasionally, the languid pace can be a bit tiresome but it can be forgiven for that because of the sheer intoxicating dreamlike effect of My Blueberry Nights. The hypnotic soundtrack of clandestine jazz and soul grooves is an excellent addition to the atmosphere, tinting it with melancholy and the sense that hope could be near.

Musician Norah Jones makes her debut here and does quite a good job. She wisely gives Elizabeth that questioning winsome quality and soul that is required and despite her not being an experienced actress, she does very well in the part of the wanderer searching for meaning. Jude Law is his usual charming self as the affable and good-hearted Jeremy who falls deeply in love with Elizabeth. David Strathairn as the depressed and alcoholic cop Arnie who can’t let his wife go is very moving and you can’t help but feel sorry for the guy. Similarly, Rachel Weisz shows her emotive skills playing Sue Lynne, who parades around like she isn’t bothered but actually does. Both of these two bring emotional qualities to these characters. And rounding out this cast is the wonderful Natalie Portman. Portraying Leslie as a wildly dressed girl who lives for the thrill with bravado and charisma, Portman manages to tap into the deeper hurt behind the brassy shield the character puts up to those around her.

Flaws aside with the script and pace, My Blueberry Nights is still a magical film that is unabashedly romantic and lovely. This is really an underrated movie that I hope people will check out after reading my take on it.

Wild At Heart

Tags

1990's, David Lynch, Diane Ladd, Drama, Grace Zabriskie, Harry Dean Stanton, Isabella Rossellini, Laura Dern, Nicolas Cage, Road Movie, Surreal, Wild At Heart, Willem Dafoe

Film Title

Wild At Heart

Director

David Lynch

Cast

• Nicolas Cage as Sailor Ripley
• Laura Dern as Lula Fortune
• Diane Ladd as Marietta Fortune
• Willem Dafoe as Bobby Peru
• Harry Dean Stanton as Johnnie Farragut
• J.E. Freeman as Marcellus Santos
• Isabella Rossellini as Perdita Durango
• Grace Zabriskie as Juana Durango

Wild At Heart is a surreal, dark and strange road movie directed by David Lynch. Focusing on the intense courtship between a former prisoner and his girlfriend on a deeply weird road trip across America, it is essential viewing for fans of the surreal and Lynch in general.

Sailor Ripley is a rebellious, Elvis loving guy, who is sent down for brutally killing a man with his own bare hands. He is in a raw relationship with the sensual Lula Fortune, who is constantly bombarded by her scary and needy mother, Marietta to end the romance. Disobeying her mother’s orders, Lula picks Sailor up after he is released and together they embark upon a sex-fueled, sinister road trip across many states. All the while, the manipulative and unhinged Marietta has sent a private detective to find them, but also cunningly enlisted the services of a gangster friend as she wants Sailor dead. This signals the cue for the usual Lynchian staples of dreams and surrealism, and also many homages to Elvis and The Wizard of Oz as Sailor and Lula travel down their own sinister yellow brick road and meet many creepy and deranged characters along the way.

Though it is a film that will undeniably divide viewer opinion, the performances from the cast are excellent. Nicolas Cage, clad in a seriously cool snake-skin jacket, embodies the violent, unpredictable lifestyle of Sailor. Laura Dern shows a complex young girl who is confused and sexy, sometimes at the same time. The two actors keep the audience engaged as we watch the strange events unravel around them as they travel. Heading the supporting cast is Dern’s real-life mother Diane Ladd, who creates an unforgettably unstable and resentful  matriarch who surely ranks as one of the mothers from hell in the cinematic archives. Whether calmly plotting Sailor’s demise, painting lipstick all over her face or completely flying off the handle at her daughter’s defiance, she is certainly a startlingly original character. The always interesting Harry Dean Stanton is on scene stealing form as a most unlucky private investigator, drawn into this twisted mess Willem Dafoe also contributes creepiness to the narrative as a scary criminal, who has the strangest teeth I’ve ever seen on film. They are used perfectly to show a sinister side when he smiles with a snake-like glee. Also watch out for a sultry cameo from Isabella Rossellini as the bleach blonde getaway driver for criminals and a creepy performance by Lynch regular Grace Zabriskie as her crazed, murdering sister Juana.

Music plays an integral part to the film, cutting it to old school rock that the two lovers are often seen listening to or discussing. The use of the song Wicked Game is effective as the lovers drive at night and see eerie visions as the melancholy tune plays. Although the numerous references to Oz, especially in terms of visual style, may put off viewers, they contribute an almost darkly, childlike undercurrent showing how supernatural and creepy the road trip has become for the fleeing duo.

All in all, Wild At Heart is not a film for everyone’s taste, mainly because of graphic violence and macabre atmosphere. But if you relish strange, symbol-laden films populated by weird characters and striking visuals, Wild At Heart may just be the film for you.

The Straight Story

Tags

1990's, David Lynch, Drama, Richard Farnsworth, Road Movie, Sissy Spacek, The Straight Story

Film Title

The Straight Story

Director

David Lynch

Cast

• Richard Farnsworth as Alvin Straight
• Sissy Spacek as Rose Straight
• Everett McGill as Tom
• Harry Dean Stanton as Lyle Straight
• Kevin Farley as Harald Olsen
• John P.Farley as Thorvald Olsen

A simple, heartfelt and endearing look at the strength of the spirit, The Straight Story marks a change in direction for David Lynch, who is usually known for surreal and controversial films. Incredibly based on a true story and boasting a restrained Oscar-nominated performance by Richard Farnsworth, the film is both poignant and relatable in equal measure.

Alvin Straight is an old World War II veteran living in Iowa with his daughter Rose, who suffers from a speech impediment. He is in bad health, being told that he is going blind and that his legs are failing by his local doctor. He is also informed that his estranged brother Lyle, who lives in Wisconsin, has recently suffered a stroke. Knowing that time is not on his side and desperate to heal old scars, the stubborn Alvin decides to take a rather interesting trip to visit his brother. As he can’t drive, he uses a trusted lawnmower and decides to embark on the odyssey alone, despite the pleas of his friends and family. What follows on is a beautifully realised road movie, peppered by interesting characters and Alvin’s affect on their lives as he attempts to reach his brother .

The cinematography used is exemplary in showing the natural beauty of Alvin’s quest, bathing fields in a hue of gold and capturing the sun emerging from behind mountains. The screenplay should also be praised for not falling into cloying sentimentality or melodrama, rather focusing on the immensely personal journey of one man who won’t let his age beat him. Above all, the thing that anchors the film is Farnsworth’s poignant, subtle performance. He creates an eccentric character who is old in years, yet young in spirit, mind  and determination. Knowing that Farnsworth was ill during filming and that he died a year after the film’s release adds another level of pathos to his already outstanding portrayal. Many moments of his performance stick in the mind, such as his moralistic lesson he gives to young bikers, his fireside chat with a runaway teenager about the importance of family, his funny handling of two bickering twins who try to charge him too much for repairs to his vehicle and the quiet tears he cries when chatting with an old veteran. Sissy Spacek is also touching in her supporting role, both showing the caring side of her and the scarred other side that life has inflicted on her.

With The Straight Story, David Lynch has created a heartfelt tribute to the themes of redemption and coming to terms with the realisation of one’s age. Although the basic premise may sound like uncharacteristic material for him, he actually crafts an emotionally moving tale that is hard not to like. The slow-moving pace of the film may put off some, yet it also helps create a beautiful and evocative testament to Alvin and his undying determination to complete his journey. All in all, The Straight Story was heartfelt viewing and I advise people to see it.

Thelma and Louise

Tags

1990's, Brad Pitt, Callie Khouri, Drama, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel, Ridley Scott, Road Movie, Susan Sarandon, Thelma and Louise

Film title

Thelma and Louise

Director

Ridley Scott

Cast

• Susan Sarandon as Louise Sawyer
• Geena Davis as Thelma Dickinson
• Harvey Keitel as Detective Hal Slocumb
• Michael Madsen as Jimmy Lennox
• Brad Pitt as J.D
• Christopher McDonald as Darryl Dickinson

The story of two best friends going on a vacation that turns into something completely different and ending in an unforgettable finale, Thelma and Louise struck a chord with many upon its release in 1991, maybe because of its road movie revamping and its new female spin on a male dominated genre. Whatever your view on it, there can be no debating the amount of buzz and arguments it has caused over the years since it’s release. Anyway, back to the review of it.

Thelma Dickinson is a meek, put upon housewife whose husband controls everything she does, her best friend Louise Sawyer is a tough-talking, world-weary waitress whose unexplained trauma that happened years prior has made her that way. Both bored in their uneventful and small Arkansas town, Louise suggests going on a trip, just the two of them. They both decide to do it and along the way stop at a bar, planning to leave after a short break. A suave man named Harlan begins to flirt with Thelma and eventually gets the timid housewife drunk. When she goes outside for air, his charming demeanor changes to violent as he tries to brutally rape her. Louise, stops him with the aid of a gun and threatens him. After yelling obscenities at her, Louise shoots him dead. Fearing the consequences of the incident, the duo go on the lam in an attempt to escape imprisonment, and so begins a thrilling journey of self-discovery and the power of friendship, that involves theft, guns and a spectacular chase through the Grand Canyon.

What is so interesting upon viewing Thelma and Louise, is its merging of various genres and its dusting off of old clichés in the form of new ones. At the heart of it, it is a road movie, but it also includes many instances of crime, action and drama. This is all handled under the thoughtful direction of Ridley Scott. Although I wouldn’t expect Scott to make a film such as this, he actually pulls off the film admirably and memorably. The Oscar-winning script by Callie Khouri furthers our engagement, emotional tie and understanding of the women and gets to the heart of their characters. Credit should also be given to Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon, who both create convincingly outstanding portrayals as the eponymous best friends. All the way through the film, they anchor the proceedings and keep us watching as the women try to find a way to escape imprisonment whilst driving through the twists and turns of the American frontier. Harvey Keitel is also used to great effect as a sympathetic detective, who tries numerous times to persuade the women to stop running. Film buffs should also look out for a young Brad Pitt as a charismatic thief who Thelma takes a shine to after picking him up.

Debate rages on as to whether the film is man-hating, that its depiction of crime is one of a positive nature and that if it shows women in a positive or negative light. The film is also a hot topic when it comes to the ending, which I won’t divulge in case people reading it haven’t seen it. Those who have will know exactly what I’m talking about. Arguments made against it have labelled it flawed and cop-out, whilst others have disagreed. All of this aside, Thelma and Louise makes for memorable viewing because of its re-writing of genre and gender favorability, its title characters that are brought vividly to life by Sarandon and Davis and its mix of humour, drama and emotion.