Republished from the show notes of my other site, Fuds on Film.
Wong’s first and so far only English language film transports us initially to Noo Yawk, as Norah Jones’ Elizabeth has her heart broken by some gadabout, depositing her cheatin’ ex’s apartment key at the local cafe, run by Jude Law’s Jeremy, joining a jar of other manifestations of broken dreams. She can’t help but hang around night after night to see if the key will be reclaimed, sharing a slice of blueberry pie with Jeremy. Just as it seems that there might be some sparks in that relationship brewing, if that’s what sparks do, I’m not a scientist, she ups sticks and leaves.
She heads South to find herself, working in a diner by day and bar by night in Memphis, Tennessee, where she will become a witness to another tragic relationship between David Strathairn’s Arnie and Rachel Weisz’s Sue Lynne, although perhaps more accurately it’s the relationship between Arnie and the bottle of scotch that’s the issue.
Later she’ll head off to Nevada and get wrapped up in the life of a risk-taking card sharp Natalie Portman’s Leslie, in a segment that was certainly a thing that existed, but I’m not sure what the wider point of is, before returning to New York and Jeremy, who has rather soppily been waiting for her, like, a year later, for some reason.
This got a rather tepid reaction on release, and is considered a bit of a flop. And, well, it is, at least in the company of the films we’re talking about today. If I was feeling contrary, I could argue a point that the shallow characters and meandering through-line is not significantly worse than was seen in his earlier work, and at least Wong’s had the sense to cast David Strathairn in it, instantly making it a watchable film regardless of the well trod Americana it’s dressing itself in.
However at that point I’d just be arguing about relative positions in the bottom half of Wong’s league table, and as there’s no relegation from that division I’d rather spend our time here talking about more positive experiences. So I won’t say much more, other than to say it’s no-one’s worst hour either in front of or behind the camera, but far from their best (particularly Jude Law, and that allegedly Mancunian accent). Apart from Norah Jones, I suppose, who didn’t really act in anything substantial after this to date, so this is both her best and worst hour. Such is life.
By no means awful, but by no means recommended to anyone other than a completionist.