Other than the obnoxious people sitting behind me at the cinema when I saw My Blueberry Nights, it was pretty good. Norah Jones makes her acting debut as Elizabeth, a heartbroken girl who journeys around the US after a painful relationship. Before she leaves, however, she meets Jeremy (Jude Law), who runs a cafe and who has also been jilted in the past. Though they build a friendship, Elizabeth nonetheless leaves without saying goodbye.

In her travels around the US, Elizabeth finds herself wrapped up in other people’s lives and dramas, and writes her thoughts about her experiences back to Jeremy on postcards. Elizabeth, who goes by Lizzie in one place, Beth in the next, finds bits of herself in the quirky and sometimes sad people she meets along the way, and by the time she finds her way back to where she came from she is no longer a Lizzie or a Beth, but a whole Elizabeth.

My Blueberry Nights is a little depressing at times, and a lot predictable, but as far as nice chick-flicks about love and soul searching go it’s not bad. Coming from someone who usually hates that kind of thing, that’s saying a lot. It even has an easily read metaphor that gives it a slight but crucial edge over the vast majority of mid-grade girly movies. The soundtrack, which obviously features Norah Jones, is very well put together and fits the film like a glove. As far as the acting goes, I’d say Jones’ first try was a success. Natalie Portman and Jude Law are also decent, and David Strathairn as Arnie, a town drunk in Memphis, is positively heartbreaking. Though it’s not stupendous, it’s not bad either. Ideally paired with a moderately priced meal for a date night, perhaps.

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