Food for thought

My Blueberry Nights comes out slightly burned | Sam Thielman

Macall Polay/The Weinstein Company

"There's nothing wrong with the blueberry pie," declares Jeremy (Jude Law) at the beginning of Wong Kar Wai's first English-language film, My Blueberry Nights. "It's just no one wants it." Jeremy's talking about himself, a little, to his new friend Elizabeth (Norah Jones). She, heartbroken, has been self-medicating with slice after slice of the titular, circular foodstuff, and Jeremy is clearly smitten from word one. It's a wonderful opening, so it's sort of a shame that the movie doesn't live up to these first few scenes.

Wong is a messy, unapologetic romantic, which means that he's much more interested in relationships than in bodies. (The film is rated PG-13 not for sex, of which there is none, but for smokin', drinkin', and a little cussin', most of which takes place in a bar.) His movies, then, are pretty subtle, and this dessert-centric story of a girl (Jones) running away from love is no exception. Unfortunately, this makes Wong's understanding of American culture—which isn't hostile, just unnuanced—grate like a little piece of eggshell in a spoonful of custard.