My Blueberry Nights is a little indie flick with some major star power. The cast of Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai's English-language debut includes Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, Natalie Portman and David Strathairn -- all of whom 
have appeared on Oscar ballots at one time or another. So why would such a star-studded group of actors lend their names to the work? Because My Blueberry Nights is very much an actor's dream -- a melodrama packed with dialogue.
The story is essentially divided into two parts, with jazzy pop singer Norah Jones providing the bridge as Elizabeth, a melancholy recent dumpee who embarks on a cross-country trek in an effort to get over her ex. Her journey first takes her to Memphis, where she bears witness to a heartbreaking squabble between an alcoholic cop (Strathairn) and his estranged wife (Weisz). Then she heads to Vegas, where she connects with a spunky, out-of-luck card player (Portman) who offers her an interesting proposal. In between, Elizabeth sends postcards telling of her experiences to friend Jeremy, an amiable café owner struggling to get past his own breakup.
My Blueberry Nights is fraught with excessively talky scenes featuring fairly obvious observations on loneliness and human nature delivered by actors in various states of histrionics. To help enliven the often lengthy dialogue sequences, Wong shoots them from a variety of unconventional angles -- some of which prove really distracting. At times the flick successfully achieves a dreamy, atmospheric vibe akin to Lost in Translation, but those moments are all too fleeting.
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