My Blueberry Nights (2008) - photo copyright © Studio Canal

Role: Arnie
Filming: June, 2006 - August 21, 2006 (Memphis, TN)
Festival Screenings: May 16, 2007 (Cannes Film Festival)
U.S. (Limited) Release: April 4, 2008
Director: Wong Kar-wai

Synopsis: Based on a short film that director Wong Kar-wai shot in Hong Kong, the story tells of a shopkeeper who falls for a mysterious female client who eats blueberry pies. This young woman travels across America to find the true meaning of love, encountering offbeat characters along the way.

Cast:
Norah Jones .... Elizabeth
Jude Law .... Jeremy
David Strathairn .... Arnie
Rachel Weisz .... Sue Lynne
Natalie Portman .... Leslie
Chan Marshall .... Katya

Notes:
• David came onboard late in the project, filming scenes in August, 2006 in Memphis, TN. He replaced Kevin Spacey in his role.
• My Blueberry Nights is Wong Kar-wai's first English language film and is based on a short that the director shot in Hong Kong several years ago. It is also the film debut of singer Norah Jones.
• One of David's scenes is shot at the Arcade Restaurant in Memphis, where a few of his scenes in The Firm were also shot.
• According to the following onset report from an extra, David's character (and a scene in the film) are described as follows: "In one scene, [Norah Jones's character] rang Strathairn up at the register while he talked about having drank too much the night before. Strathairn, in a short-sleeve cop uniform, lamented that he was not a happy drunk, one who sang, and both of them agreed they couldn't imagine him singing. He had a Southern accent. He would walk out of frame at the end of the takes but his walkie talkie hovered in the shot at the end of two of them, getting a laugh and polite correction from the director."

Posters:

Critical Praise & Commentary:
• "The only actor who really hits a home run with My Blueberry Nights is Strathairn as alcoholic cop Arnie. Unable to accept his separation from his wife, Strathairn is the last man in the bar every night. When he first looks up from his drink at Sue Lynne, his face containing a lifetime of sorrow and regret, it'll give you chills." -Dan Benamor, Diamondback Online

• "She encounters one miscast actor after another as she travels from New York to Nevada, with the exception of David Strathairn, who plays a cop down on his luck, drinking away his sorrows in a bar in Memphis, trying to forget his Southern bombshell of an ex-wife, played by the vampy Rachel Weisz. Strathairn's performance is the only one in the film that feels both natural and credible. He has a screen presence that the other actors, despite their A-list status, all seem to lack, and one that even further diminishes Jones' acting capabilities." -Sarah Cronin, Electric Sheep Magazine

• "In his first English-language film, the Hong Kong avant-pop auteur Wong Kar-Wai shoots American dive bars in gorgeous hot reds, and he teases out moments of terrific acting--from David Strathairn and Rachel Weisz as a bitter, raging couple..." -Owen Fleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

• "Rachel Weisz and David Strathairn, who play estranged lovers in the Southern, second 'act', deliver powerful performances." -Lee Grant, Sign On San Diego

• "Striking moments and strong performances, especially from David Strathairn, are the compensations in a film that is likely to receive a decidedly cool critical reception... The strongest story comes in the mid-section as lovelorn policeman Arnie (David Strathairn) nightly loses himself in alcoholic oblivion to anaesthetise the pain of his terminal estrangement from wife Sue Lynne (Rachel Weisz). Strathairn brings a typical authority and substance to his role, creating an immensely sympathetic figure and an emotional connection with the audience that is not necessarily achieved by all the characters." -Alan Hunter, Screen Daily

• "Strathairn and Weisz, especially, are excellent as the obsessed cop and guilt-ridden wife..." -Indie London

• "David Strathairn's gravitas and jadedness steals the show in his portrayal of the abandoned Memphis police officer who tries to drink away his sorrow." -International Herald Tribune

• "But bringing the acting up to a more positive level is the addition of David Strathairn, someone I wouldn’t associate with wanting to work with this director or in this type of film. Anything, and I mean anything, that he makes an appearance in he is a or in most cases the highlight of the film and here is no different. Although his character isn’t in it for very long he still is in it enough for me to be thoroughly impressed by his unusual role." -Ross Miller, MovieFilmReview.com

• "Perhaps one of the most interesting characters she meets is a poor lonely cop, Arnie (David Strathairn) whose sole aim is to drown down his marital sorrows in cheeseburgers and booze every night. If only his unfaithful wife Sue Lynn (Rachel Weisz) would just mend his broken heart... Weak plot and bad screenwriting set aside, the film does benefit from great supporting performances from Strathairn and Weisz, who play opposite each other in challenging roles that leave viewers asking for more. Strathairn portrays drunk Arnie with much conviction, and with each move he makes he perfectly conveys the depths of his despair." -Eileen Perez, The Pace Press

• "...David Strathairn gives his always fantastic performance..." -Chasse Rehwinkel, The Patriot-News

• "Each of these actors gives the film a necessary boost--Strathairn's boozy, bleary sadness leaks off the page... Most of us will be swept away by Wong's visions and his depiction of love, loss and life--Strathairn's performance alone is particularly devastating, and the tone of the piece is more than enough to inspire any viewer to reflect on their own loves past and present." -James Rocchi, Cinematical

• "There, she crosses paths with a heartsick, alcoholic cop (an outstanding David Strathairn)..." -Tim Ryan, Rotten Tomatoes

• "But the real honours go to Chan Marshall (aka singer Cat Power), who turns in a beguiling cameo, and David Strathairn, who is the only actor to hint at grief that is genuine rather than rote." -Sukhdev Sandhu, Telegraph.co.uk

• "...Strathairn stands out against the rest with a heartbreaking performance." -Alissa Wilkinson, World On the Web

(David On His Role:)
• "It was some of the hardest work I've had to do." -David Strathairn, 2007

• [on the film] "It's evocative to the point where words are just grace notes." -David Strathairn, 2007

• [on director Wong Kar-wai] "[He's] the master of mood; a visual artist of the highest order. Most films are a combination of word and picture, but he moves with picture, and the words are a guide. It's never repetitive, because each moment was a different approach to trying to find the thing--there was never anything that happened the same way twice. He's like this dogged and determined hunter, trying to trap something that is more often than not elusive, and that's feeling and emotion." -David Strathairn, 2007

• [on director Wong Kar-wai] "It's the kind of hard investigation that I like. A lot of people may not cotton to the way he works. It's very intense and very focused. He's crafting what's happening in the frame like a painter, but he's also hunting for something. And when he finds it, he knows it." -David Strathairn, 2008

(Rachel Weisz On David:)
• "I did a film with Wong Kar Wai called My Blueberry Nights, his first English language film. We shot it in Memphis. I play David Strathairn's wife. He's an alcoholic cop and we have a very, very messed up relationship. We brawl in bars." -Rachel Weisz, co-star

Related Links:
Official U.S. Site
Official U.K. Site
Official International Site (off site)
Official French Site (off site)
Official Spanish Site (off site)