Blue State - Eine Reise ins Blaue

Considering that this movie is 15 years old when it was made in a bygone era when Georgy-Porgy was the President and this Democrat has a girlfriend who keeps arguing. Neither would I call it romantic nor a comedy. Its a ridiculous situation.

Worried about disappointing the loyal readers of his internet blog, a political activist decides to make good on a promise he made to move to Canada if George W. Bush was reelected in this Canada/US co- production starring Breckin Meyer. The film is overloaded with political debate (and lots of anti-Bush sentiment), however it nevertheless makes Meyer's road trip less a political one and more a journey of self-discovery in which he learns to be proud to be an American while dealing with personal issues that surface after stopping off at his parents' house along the way. He also learns to become more humble throughout, having built up a false self-image as an important person in the political scene purely due to some campaign work and a blog with a smaller audience than he ever realised. What exactly Anna Paquin's character has to do with his self-discovery journey is less clear. Her role in the narrative is awkward from the get-go with Meyer desperate for companionship as he drives up to Canada. Paquin's character admittedly comes with a few twists that one might not see coming, but the romantic tension between the pair is extremely formulaic and subtracts from Meyer's character growth. All in all, 'Blue State' is a film with enough in it to possibly be worth a look, but with a singular protagonist and a tighter story, it may have been a lot more than just that.

I saw this at the Waterfront Film Festival in Saugatuck, Michigan.

Funny movie about a political activist John Logue (played by Breckin Meyer) who makes a drunken promise that if George Bush is elected president, he will move to Canada. After John Kerry is defeated by George Bush, it seems like Logue's life has lost its purpose. Finally, after his friends insist that he keeps his promise, Logue decides to take the trip to Canada. To do so he places an ad for a road partner and chooses the mysterious Chloe (Anna Paquin).

In case you didn't notice by the synopsis, this film does rip on President Bush quite often, so don't be upset if you're from a certain political party, you know what was in store before seeing the film. It started out very well but I felt that it lost some steam in the second half and never really recovered. It's still a good movie, but I wish it would have kept its same charm and comedy that it had in its first half.

Breckin Meyer and Anna Paquin were very good together, they were well cast and did a good job acting. However, there are times where it seemed the film was written by someone the day after the 2004 presidential elections. It probably would've been a better film if some of the dialogue didn't sound like people debating on CNN.

It's a nice film and worth looking out for, but just remember to read what it's about before seeing it because it's not for everyone.

A self-mocking indictment against taking life too seriously, as ever the redeeming power of love wins out, with the moral - at the end - being that it is better to act locally than to run away.

As for suggestions that the movie is partisan, I think not, this is merely a matter of character portrayal.

Excellent acting by the hero and heroine. Very enjoyable and absorbing to watch.

A self-mocking indictment against taking life too seriously, as ever the redeeming power of love wins out, with the moral - at the end - being that it is better to act locally than to run away.

As for suggestions that the movie is partisan, I think not, this is merely a matter of character portrayal.

Excellent acting by the hero and heroine. Very enjoyable and absorbing to watch.

I saw this movie at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2007. I think it won the audience award there. The atmosphere in the theater was electric (Anna Paquin, the director and producer were all there). It is a really great movie. I walked out of the theater feeling uplifted by the experience and in a better mood for it. Not only are the performances spot on (I think this is some of Anna Paquin's best work), but the movie manages the rare feat of being both funny, warm and thought-provoking at the same time. I would describe it as part road movie, part romantic comedy - with some acute political commentary thrown in for good measure. This is not, however, a movie that preaches its politics. The (few) political points it does make are balanced and more importantly very funny. The portrayal of Canadians and Americans view of them is hilarious. It's out on DVD and on netflix, etc. so go ahead and see it. You won't regret it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!