FILM: Where'd You Go, Bernadette?

Cate Blanchett gives a great performance as Bernadette, a Macarthur grant genius architect who moves to Seattle and has a creative breakdown. We already knew that Cate could portray a breakdown, but where Blue Jasmine was a harsh and unsympathetic breakdown, Bernadette is much more summer-light endearing kind of crazy, so that you’re rooting for her rather than watching a trainwreck. The story is fresh, and proceeds enjoyably, to an improbable ending which is satisfying enough for a light summer movie. Our expectations going in had been lowered by rather mixed reviews, and from reading some of the unfavorable ones, I’m guessing that the film departs a fair bit from the book, particularly in its Hollywood resolution. We never read the book, so we just took the film on its own terms. If you’re expecting high art or profound social commentary, you’d be disappointed, but if you just want a light summer film and don’t think too hard about it, it’s plenty enjoyable.