My Blueberry Nights

According to Variety the Weinstein brothers have secured the American distribution rights to Wong Kar Wai's upcoming movie "Blueberry Nights".

The film is to be the director's first English language film and will star Grammy award winning singer Norah Jones who takes a road trip across the U.S. in search for answers "about love and finding comedic adventures along the way." During her travels she meets a cast of eccentric characters, played by Jude Law, Rachael Weisz David Strathaine and Natalie Portman.

Based on a short film that Wong shot in Hong Kong, it sees a shopkeeper fall for a mysterious female client who eats blueberry pies. Apparently, the script (though this is always a rather loose concept with Kar Wai) for "Blueberry Nights" was written with the assistance of acclaimed crime writer Lawrence Block.

So far, so intriguing...

At first glance, it appears to have all the ingredients to make it classic Wong Kar Wai movie: smoky interiors, transient romantic encounters, food and sex. Add a luscious dreamy soundtrack, cook for 30 minutes and, "bang", your done.

That said, I am a little bit wary about this new cinematic treat for several reasons: a) it is described as a romantic comedy, a description I do not normally associate with a Kar Wai movie; b) the choice of actors, which could prove to be either inspired or painfully insipid; and finally c) Christopher Doyle is not on board as cinematographer for this movie, which means his trademark dreamy visuals will be absent from Blueberry Nights.

All of which is not to say that he could not pull this off. After all, the last "road movie" Wong Kar Wai made was the gorgeous Happy Together. A film that no matter how many times I watch it I always discover something new and touching. Blueberry Night might also offer up such a treat, either way I will be first in line to take a slice of that pie.

Dreamreading Murakami

Scrabbling amongst the detritus of the slagheap the other day I discovered what can only be described as an unexpected, but welcomed discovery: four unicorn skulls lying under the tarpaulin of an old ford mustang. Dusty, to be sure, but serviceable. After a few cobweb-clearing-blows, I was to able to see inside the dark interior of the majestic animal's cranium. Cradling one of these relics in my calloused hands, I could feel the delicious tingle of anticipation as I contemplated the stories rich with mystery and meaning, which they contained. But try as I might, I was unable to dreamread their contents. This never used to be a problem whilst the village librarian was around to help me out. However, ever since she lost her mind, she has been somewhat forgetful and has taken to wondering the woods looking for her shadow. What good that will do her, I have no idea. It my experience that shadows only hold you back.

No matter, for in the the librarian's absence I have discovered that Naxos has recently produced audio book renditions of four of Murakmi Haruki's most evocative novels:

A Wild Sheep Chase
The Elephant Vanishes
Norwegian Wood
Kafka on the Shore
The Wind Up Bird Chronicle

Lavishly packaged and beautifully read (from the extracts I listened to on the Murakmi podcast), they are a delicious treat to anyone who wants to dreamread and explore the noocks and crannies of the subconscious, but does not have the wherewithal to unlock the secrets of a unicorn's dusty skull.