Blue Bayou, the compelling and urgent story of a distinctively American family struggling for their future, is an official selection of the 2021 Cannes Film Festival from award-winning writer/director Justin Chon. Antonio LeBlanc, played by Chon, a Korean adoptive raised in a small Louisiana bayou village, is married to Kathy who is played by Alicia Vikander and stepfather to their adored daughter Jessie.
As he struggles to provide a better life for his family, he is forced to confront the demons of his past when he learns that he may be deported from the only nation he has ever known.
Chon, Alicia Vikander, Mark O’Brien, Linh Dan Pham, Sydney Kowalske, Vondie Curtis-Hall, and Emory Cohen are among the cast members.
Blue Bayou made its international premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on July 13, 2021, and will be released in the United States by Focus Features on September 17, 2021.
The plot revolves around the immigration status of this country’s foreign-born adoptees; a measure was passed in 2000 that awarded them American citizenship, but that long-overdue amendment didn’t apply retrospectively to anyone who was brought to this country prior to that date. It’s an odd legal quirk that never occurs to Chon’s Antonio LeBlanc, a New Orleans tattoo artist who directs himself in a sympathetic performance in this film.
Blue Bayou filming locations
They spent a lot of time together between Mississippi and New Orleans, taking photos and making short video clips to try to capture the ambiance needed to tell the story in this film. Preparation took five weeks, while principal photography in New Orleans lasted 32 days.
In terms of production design and costume, Chon had previously stated in an interview that the film was written for New Orleans, and that the city was a character and a look of the film in and of itself.
They were attempting to represent more of the ordinary Westbank residents across the river from New Orleans, rather than Bourbon Street; this resulted in a certain type of look that they talked about a lot.
So, the film was mainly shot in New Orleans with some additional scenes shot in Los Angeles.
New Orleans
New Orleans is a city in Louisiana located near the Gulf of Mexico on the Mississippi River. It’s renowned as the “Big Easy” for its nonstop nightlife, thriving live music scene, and spicy, unique food, all of which reflect the city’s past as a melting pot of French, African, and American cultures. Mardi Gras, the late-winter carnival known for rowdy costumed parades and street celebrations, epitomises the city’s exuberant atmosphere.
When Antonio retires to his favourite bayou spot, first with Jesse and then by himself, there are welcome moments of peace. DPs Matthew Chuang and Ante Cheng explore Louisiana’s natural splendour in these images, which include sparkling night shots of New Orleans streets and beautiful views of the Crescent City Connection across the Mississippi. The film is visually appealing and has a compelling feeling of place.
The colourful tattoo parlour with its cast of likeable reprobates is a cocoon against outside dangers, where even an ICE immigration officer client is badmouthed and joshed – there are some nice New Orleans locations in a film that explores the dark side of the city but also evokes its life and camaraderie – Regular Chon collaborator Roger Suen’s organ-led soundtrack hits some large emotive notes in the end, but usually works with more subtle counterpoints.
In some of the film’s more impressionistic moments, Ante Cheng and Matthew Chuan’s warm handheld photography is reminiscent of Emmanuel Lubezki’s work with Terrence Mallick, but it largely just maps a poignant storey with wonderful sensitivity.
This movie tells the story of a real problem in the US and is heart-felt and sensitive while delivering the same.