In describing today's best directors, three terms are generally used (and overused): Maverick, Genius and Auteur. A "maverick" is now used to describe virtually anyone who makes a movie without using Hollywood money. An "auteur" is used to describe anyone who writes as well as directs. And "genius" is used to describe anyone who makes a halfway decent film. I'm taking these words back. In reality, a "maverick" should be a button-pusher. It's a filmmaker who is so radical and daring that even high-minded, forward-thinking critics sneer at their work, people like Vincent Gallo or Catherine Breillat. These people are so dangerous that they have trouble making and distributing films. Harmony Korine, director of Mister Lonely (5 screens) is very much a maverick. Korine has pushed many buttons and many envelopes over the years and though I love his work, he's someone I wouldn't want to invite to my house. (He scares me.)

Werner Herzog, director of Encounters at the End of the World (1 screen), is also a maverick (and, incidentally, a buddy of Korine's). His physically dangerous films have probably had insurance companies slamming the door in his face, and his co-workers have included people who might not be fit for polite society. (At the very least, most of them would turn heads.) Some of his actors have reportedly threatened to kill him. It cracks me up that, because Herzog's documentary Grizzly Man was such a hit, Herzog was allowed to make his new film for the Discovery Channel. I'd really love to have been in on that board meeting. Did they really know who they were dealing with? At the same time, Herzog is also an auteur: all of his films have the same roaming curiosity, fearlessly exploring man's tenuous connection to nature, from Aguirre navigating the Amazon looking for El Dorado, to Timothy Treadwell seeking to befriend the bears.

(ed. note: This post was accidentally published at 1AM, instead of 1PM, so we're re-publishing it at the correct time.)

I've been thinking about the largely negative response to Wong Kar-wai's My Blueberry Nights (6 screens), a film I quite liked. As of today it's at 43% on Rotten Tomatoes, though it opens wider this weekend (including here in the Bay Area) and more reviews are surely coming in. Most critics I've spoken with around here likewise didn't think much of it. What are the reasons for all this disappointment? The main reason has to do with its weight. It's a lightweight movie, a trifle, flimsy, vapid, thin, etc. Wong is considered one of the world's greatest filmmakers, a maker of "weighty" works of art, and so this "lighter" film is beneath him. It's a letdown, a step backward.

Well, I say that's nonsense. Many great filmmakers dallied in lightweight, lesser trifles during their careers, and it didn't make them any less great. Martin Scorsese has made lots of them. After Hours (1985) and The Color of Money (1986) may not pack the punch of Raging Bull, but they are quite enjoyable, and pure Scorsese. (His current Shine a Light, 277 screens, feels like a trifle.) Fritz Lang came to the United States from a position of great power and unlimited resources in Germany and found himself assigned cheap crime pictures. Yet few critics today would complain about the "lightness" of The Big Heat or Scarlet Street. Max Ophuls also made crime films in Hollywood (Caught and The Reckless Moment), and his reputation remains intact. Some consider John Ford the greatest American director of all time, and even though his goofball Donovan's Reef (1963) isn't counted among his classics, I love it just as much. It has moments of great beauty that reflect its maker's personality. My Blueberry Nights may not stand up to In the Mood for Love, but it's unquestionably a Wong Kar-wai film.

"I don't know how to begin, because the story's been told before," croons Nora Jones on the soundtrack during the opening of My Blueberry Nights, and it seems a similar problem afflicts Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar Wai, who makes his English language debut with this gorgeous if slight saga about aimless Elizabeth's (Jones) search for herself via a cross-country journey. It's not so much that Wong doesn't know how to commence this specific tale but, instead, that he doesn't know how to start anew, as his latest proves a minor stateside revisitation (or, perhaps more accurately, a rehash) of his favorite thematic and aesthetic preoccupations.

Despite being shot by Darius Khondji and not the director's longtime collaborator Christopher Doyle, the film offers up a handy compendium of his favorite visual signatures - the smeary slow-motion, the hyper-vibrant, sharp-and-soft color palette, framing and tracking shots that dreamily highlight the distance between individuals - while his narrative continues a career-long obsession with the intricacies of romance and the imperative role of memory (regarding both love and loss). It's as light, fluffy and attractive as the blueberry pies that Manhattan café owner Jeremy (Jude Law) serves Elizabeth late at night, but ultimately, also, far less satisfying.

Poor Wong Kar-Wai! Has the Chinese auteur been reduced to selling t-shirts to make a living? Not exactly. Movie City News pointed to an item at Material Interest, a news blog at Style.com, which indicates that the director has apparently authorized various merchandise to publicize next week's opening of his latest work, My Blueberry Nights. The goods, available exclusively at the New York and Los Angeles locations of boutique retailer Opening Ceremony, includes t-shirts, which sell for $95, posters, which go for $50, and postcards, selling for the bargain basement price of just $25.

Wong has been widely celebrated for following his own muse, which has often alienated him from the Hong Kong film industry where he got his start as a scriptwriter more than 25 years ago. Sad to say, the English-language My Blueberry Nights alienated him from half the critical world when it premiered to widespread disappointment at Cannes last year. (Our own James Rocchi was more positive, noting its shortcomings but concluding that "most of us will be swept away by Wong's visions and his depiction of love, loss and life.") Wong has since tinkered with the film, and a new version opens next Friday, April 4.

We've mentioned indieWIRE's filmmaker talks sponsored by Apple before. There's been Julie Delpy, shots of Redacted, Wes Anderson and crew, Richard Kelly and some Tales, Rewinding with Michel Gondry, and some David Gordon Green. They really know how to get people you'd want to see up close, and hear what they have to say about their films. And they sinisterly make me wish I was in New York City every few months.

Now indieWIRE continues the trend with their latest conquest; Wong Kar Wai, who will finally make his English-language debut on mainstream screens this April 4, and will be popping by the Apple Store in SoHo on April 1. The director will show scenes from My Blueberry Nights, and Dennis Lim will moderate a discussion about the film as well.

If you make it out to any of these (and are, of course, lucky enough to be in the vicinity), this would probably be the one to see. How many times does the guy do talks stateside -- one you can see for free?! The talk will be held from 7:00-8:00 p.m., at 103 Prince Street, NYC, and it's first-come, first-serve free seating. If any of you Cinematical readers make it out to the talk, let us know how it went!

Yeah, back in January, there was a new poster and a limited release date of February 13 for My Blueberry Nights. Obviously, this release was set to give coupley lovers a chance to delight in blueberries whilst expressing their love for one another. I guess it was just too soon, because that day came and went without Wong Kar Wai's English-language debut.

Now, indieWIRE reports that the film once again has a release date -- this time, April 4 -- but that's not all. There's also a new version of the film, and The Weinstein Company is quoted as saying: "This is a new cut of the film, different than the version shown at Cannes." This is, no doubt, in response to the half and half response it got at the festival -- right now, the film as a 56% positive rating at Rotten Tomatoes, and even the positive reviews find faults with the feature.

Whatever they end up releasing, I just want to see the damned thing already. So, hopefully, this date will be the one that will stick, and hopefully this cut improves the film for all of us. In the meantime, check out James' Cannes review.

Empire has the exclusive first look at the new poster for Wong Kar Wai's My Blueberry Nights. While the first poster release chose to put Rachel Weisz front and center, the latest one-sheet lets you know right from the get-go that this film is an ensemble in every sense of the word. The story centers on a young woman (played by Norah Jones in her acting debut) who wastes away hours in a local cafe run by a romantically philosophical type named Jeremy (played by Jude Law). The story then follows our broken hearted gal as she rambles about the country, coming into contact with an alcoholic cop and his wife (David Strathairn and Rachel Weisz) and a gambling con-artist as played by Natalie Portman.

My Blueberry Nights marks Wong Kar Wai's first attempt at an English language film, and will also be one of the few films he has shot without the services of his usual cinematographer, Christopher Doyle. Instead, the famed director hired Darius Khondji, who has worked with Woody Allen (Anything Else) and David Fincher (Panic Room). The film premiered in Cannes back in May, and while reviews were mixed (mainly directed at Jones' acting abilities), the overall impression was that the film marked some new territory for the director -- you can read James' review here. Wong Kar Wai is a master at conveying love and longing for another person. So, even though there have been some changes in his usual methods, you know you are still in some pretty capable hands. Plus, if you consider the cast and the skill of people involved in the production, it would be a shock if it didn't all somehow work. My Blueberry Nights is set to open for a limited release on February 13th, 2008.

We've got to wait until February to see what Wong Kar Wai made of his first English-language film, My Blueberry Nights -- it finally goes into limited release the day before Valentine's Day -- February 13, 2008. In the meantime, he's made a short film that has found its way online. In July, it was announced that the filmmaker would make an exclusive short for Philips' new televisions -- the Ambilight series. Riffing on the idea that this new generation of TV's does wonders with light and color, Wong Kar Wai was brought on to make a film that taps into "the concept of seduction by light."

Of course, looking for a saturated, color-infused film, he was the man to pick. Philips' CEO, Rudy Provoost, said: "Innovation isn't just about increased functionality anymore. It's about creating experiences, seducing the senses and bringing emotion into the world of technology. That's why the movie for our campaign [...] had to be crafted by a master of seduction in cinema."

The short, There's Only One Sun, is now online, over at Philips' Aurea website. It's a strange, slow-paced colorful tale of a female secret agent who dresses like a model and has to hunt down someone called "Light," using a "Lightcatcher." Even if you're not into strange, surreal narratives, or obvious product placement, it's worth the few minutes to check out the visuals that the filmmaker put together for this short -- it's a pretty darned saucy little film.

[via Thompson on Hollywood]

Imagine that it's dark, kind of spooky and all sorts of foreboding. Suddenly, out of the shadows comes a figure -- one with bright, sea-colored eyes. It's a sexy, chocolate-haired woman. She goes to give you a kiss, one peck on the lips. Within an instant, you've fallen to the ground, dying because her lips are poison -- the poison of midnight. Okay, this might not be the premise, but Eva Green, the sexy Vesper Lynd from Casino Royale and the saucy Isabelle from The Dreamers, is going to star in a little something called Midnight Poison, to be directed by My Blueberry Nights helmer Wong Kar Wai.

Sounds cool, right? A movie starring Green with the saturated colors of Kar Wai? Well, not quite. The project is actually a commercial. Green has become the latest face added to the ranks of Christian Dior, following other notable actresses like Charlize Theron and Sharon Stone. She's the official face for their new perfume, Midnight Poison, which should be released this September. I guess if any notable director could make a really good, intriguing and appealing commercial for cosmetics, it would be Wong Kar Wai. He's got the visuals down-pat, and I can only imagine what he'll do with Green's eyes. Between this and her stint as Serafina Pekkala in His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass, I think we'll be seeing a lot of the latest Bond girl. She's also got a rumored role in Mr. Nobody, with Jared Leto and Sarah Polley, as well as a starring role in Franklyn with Ewan McGregor, Paul Bettany and John Hurt.

Bit by tiny little bit, we've been filling you in on My Blueberry Nights. As you should all know by now, it's the first English language feature by Wong Kar Wai, the man behind films like 2046 and Happy Together. The main names in the piece -- Norah Jones, Jude Law, David Strathairn, Tim Roth, Natalie Portman and Rachel Weisz. In the last few weeks, Ryan brought us a blonde Portman, Christopher posted about a Weisz poster and I linked to a bunch of stills from the film.

Now, courtesy of AlloCine.com, we've got a trailer to check out. Unfortunately, it doesn't match so well with the descriptions we've heard -- that's it's about a girl named Elizabeth (Jones) who travels across the U.S. questioning love while meeting interesting people. Instead, it's a trailer all of Law (playing someone named Jeremy) and Jones. Jeremy is looking for Elizabeth and seemingly finds her as they have serious discussions about falling out of love. (Without the pop of Before Sunrise, that is.) Where the pictures had a certain spark with the dark tones and crisp colors, this trailer seems, well, cliche with the same vibrant pop of color. Both actors provide voiceovers to the clips, and so far, I am not buying it.

Jeremy says: "I'm not sure whether that night really happened, or if it was just another dream." Well, I'm not sure if this is the same film. It's got the actors and the visual appeal, but wheres the travel and quirky band of characters? So far, the pieces aren't fitting. One poster focuses on Wiesz. A trailer focuses only on Law and Jones. Maybe at some point it will all come together and we will get a clear picture.