Blue Jasmine Reviews
Nicki M
Super Reviewer
October 7, 2013
I was very impressed with both the story and cast. This handles mental illness in a very real way and I liked the (strained) relationship between the sisters and how it makes you question taking people at face value.
Really well done movie which I will definitely watch again.
This was a great movie. I haven't truly liked a Woody Allen movie since Match Point, so I wasn't really expecting a whole lot from this either.
I was very impressed with both the story and cast. This handles mental illness in a very real way and I liked the (strained) relationship between the sisters and how it makes you question taking people at face value.
Really well done movie which I will definitely watch again.
Samuel Riley
Super Reviewer
September 28, 2013
A truly powerful and moving film that features strong themes of emotion and loss. With a unique yet enjoyable soundtrack, this helps create a form of contrast to the film's deeper themes. It's clever of how this film has a discreet theme of mocking capitalism; a woman who lives a high life of money and jewellery, who then loses everything and is forced to live in what the majority of people have to live with and she still can't accept reality. Normally I'm not fond on films where the entire film is focused on one performance. However, Cate Blanchett's performance is an exception as almost anyone can connect to her as we've all felt the reality of struggling, as well as the pain of loss. While I haven't watched many of Woody Allen's films, I truly admired this film and am looking forward to seeing his earlier masterpieces. If Blanchett is to receive an nomination for Best Actress, she'll have my vote to receive the award.
Liam G
Super Reviewer
September 28, 2013
Hilarious yet devastating, ''Blue Jasmine'' is a superb character study with outstanding performances and Woody Allen's great script.
Sam B
Super Reviewer
August 28, 2013
Blanchett makes this Woody Allen drama work by the sheer engaging quality of her performance, despite the way the story eventually slips back towards the cliched romance elements that Woody Allen has been leaning on his entire career.
c0up
Super Reviewer
August 2, 2013
'Blue Jasmine'. As good as Cate Blanchett's performance is, and as much as I liked Woody Allen going in a darker direction, something about this lost me in a big way 3/4 of the way through.
TomBowler
Super Reviewer
September 14, 2013
Allen's most searing work in years, Blue Jasmine paints a frightening portrait of a woman on the edge, brought to life by a devastatingly beautiful performance from Cate Blanchett. Full review later.
boxman
Super Reviewer
September 6, 2013
Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) is experiencing a tumultuous change of living. Her wealthy husband Hal (Alec Baldwin) has been indicted for a Ponzi scheme that fleeced millions. Her posh New York lifestyle has vanished, Uncle Sam has frozen the assets that haven't been repossessed, and she's forced to move in with her working class sister, Ginger (Sally Hawkins), in San Francisco. Jasmine immediately has her complaints, mostly about the men that Ginger seems to date. She also tries adapting to a life she has been ill prepared for. Much like a domesticated animal, Jasmine's social skills and pricy tastes do not have real-world transitions into her getting a job and supporting herself. She's looking for a way to re-enter the shrine of privilege, and that it through a man of means.
blue-jasmine-trailer-1Blue Jasmine is a fascinating character study of a life of self-delusion, denial, greed, and guilt, and it is a marvelous film. Allen hasn't done something this cutting, this precise in several years and it's a reminder at just how skilled the man can be at building magnetic, fully realized characters, especially women. This is a rich, complex, and juicy character for an actress of the caliber of Blanchett (Hanna) to go wild with. Jasmine is something of a modern-day Blanch DuBois with a sprinkling of Jay Gatsby; she's a woman who's become accustomed to a luxurious fantasy world that she's still striving to recreate, but she also is a woman who reinvented herself. As we learn in the opening scene, Jasmine left school without finishing her degree when Hal whisked her off her feet, to a world of privilege. She even changed her name from Jeanette to Jasmine at her husband's whim. She also became particularly adept at looking the other way when it concerned her husband's shady dealings. Surely she must have known what was happening (in the end, it's pretty clear) but as long as her illusion of wealth was maintained then it was easy to not ask questions. Why ruin a good thing, even if that good thing is built upon ruining the lives of ordinary people? Two of those people bilked of their money were Ginger and Augie (Andrew Dice Clay), which make Jasmine's complicity all the more troubling. Every line of dialogue from Jasmine needs to be studied and dissected, analyzing how buried is the real Jasmine.
Jasmine's declining mental state is also given much attention and curiosity. We are watching in full view a woman go through various stages of a nervous breakdown. She's medicating herself via booze and a cocktail of prescription drugs, but there are hints that point to something other than substances at play. She hints at undergoing electric chock therapy (does this still exist?) and she may have a touch of mental illness as well, though it's unclear. Jasmine is given to talking to herself, reciting anecdotes and patter from previous parties with the rich and fabulous. It could be a sign of madness or it could be a desperate attempt by Jasmine to zone out, to return to that former life, to relive her former glory. Personally, I've done something similar, recited old conversations out loud to myself, though usually a line or so, not to the degree of recitation that Jasmine engages in. In the opening, it's revealed that the lady she's sitting next to on the plane, who we assume she's talking with, is really just a bystander. She tells her husband she was confused because Jasmine was really just talking to herself. As Jasmine tries to get back on her feet, with delusions of grandeur about reinventing herself again, her world seems to be collapsing around her as she struggles to adapt to the real working world. A receptionist job for a dentist is beneath her as well as far too much for her to handle. She has one real sincere heart-to-heart where she lays out her true feelings, and it's to her nephews in a pizza shop with no other adult present: "There's only so many traumas a person can withstand until they take to the streets and start screaming.
An enthralling character study, but Blue Jasmine also benefits from Allen's precise plotting, folding back into flashbacks to create contrast and revelations. There is an economical finesse to Allen's writing and directing. Every scene is short and sweet and imparts key knowledge, keeping the plot moving and fresh. It also provides back-story in a manner that feels unobtrusive. Jasmine's more modest living conditions with her sister are contrasted with apartment shopping in New York City's Upper West side. The class differences between Jasmine and her sister are put on full display when Ginger and Augie visit New York. However, Allen isn't only lambasting the out-of-touch rich elite here. Few characters escape analysis. In this story, everyone is pretending to be someone else, putting on fronts, personas, to try and puff themselves up. Once living with her sophisticated sister, Ginger starts seeing her world with new eyes, mainly finding dissatisfaction and a yearning that she could do better. She meets Al (Louis C.K.) at a fancy party and gets smitten, though he's not what he seems. She dumps her current boyfriend, buying into Jasmine's theory that she "dates losers because that's what she thinks she deserves." She tries to remodel herself into a posh, inaccurate version of herself, a knockoff on Jeanette to Jasmine. It's a bad fit. The person with the most integrity in the entire film appears to be, surprise, Andrew Dice Clay's character. Augie is a straightforward blue-collar guy but he has a clear sense of right and wrong, one that comes in handy when he's able to bust people.
blue-jasmine-trailerThis is much more a dramatic character study than a typical Allen comedy of neurosis, but I want to add that there are a number of laughs to be had, mostly derisive. There is comedy but it's of a tragicomedy vibe, one where we laugh at the social absurdities of self-deluded characters and the irony of chance encounters. It's far less bubbly than Midnight in Paris, Allen's last hit, but that serves the more serious, critical tone. The class conflicts made me chuckle, as well as Jasmine's hysterical antics and self-aggrandizing, but I was so thoroughly engaged with the characters and stories to complain about a lack of sufficient yuks. Confession: I generally enjoy Allen's dramas more than his straight-up comedies.
Naturally, the movie hinges on Blanchett's performance and the Oscar-winning actress is remarkable. I expect her to be a lock for another Oscar nomination if not the front-runner until later. She fully inhabits the character and lays out every tic, every neurosis, every anxiety, and every glimmer of doubt, of delusion, of humanity. She is a fully developed character given center stage, and it's a sheer pleasure to watch Blanchett give her such life. You'll feel a mixture of emotions with the character, from intrigue, to derision, to perhaps some fraying sense of sympathy, especially as the movie comes to an end. Blanchett balances the different faces of Jasmine with startling ease; she can slip into glamorous hostess to self-pitying victim to naiveté like turning a dial. I never tired of the character and I certainly never tired of watching Blanchett on screen.
Woody Allen has been a hit-or-miss filmmaker for over a decade, and you'll have that when the man has the perseverance to write and direct a movie every freaking year. I had a pet theory that, as of late, every three years was when we really got a great Allen movie: 2005's Match Point, 2008's Vicky Cristina Barcelona, 2011's Midnight in Paris. Well now my theory has been put to rest, thank you very much, all because Allen couldn't wait one more year to deliver Blue Jasmine, a truly great film. It's a tragicomedy of entertainment, an exacting character study of a flawed, complex, deeply deluded woman as her carefully calculated world breaks down. Anchored by Blanchett's supreme performance, the movie glides along with swift acumen, doling out revelations at a steady pace and consistently giving something dishy for the actors and audience to think about. It's funny, it's sad, but more than anything Blue Jasmine is compelling as hell. This is one of Allen's best films and one I'd recommend even to non-fans of the Woodman. Give Blue Jasmine a chance and you may be surprised what you feel, for the film and the woman, both complex, engaging, and memorable.
Nate's Grade: A
With writer/director Woody Allen's proliferate output, cranking out a movie every year, it's all too easy to take the man for granted. Critics will argue his halcyon days are long gone, that the man is coasting on his past laurels. Of course when you're comparing everything to Manhattan, Annie Hall, or Crimes and Misdemeanors, well sure most movies will be found lacking, even Allen's. And there's no real forgiving of 2001's Curse of the Jade Scorpion. But when Allen hits a rich topic with a capable cast, he can still produce knockout cinema, as is exactly the case with the engrossing Blue Jasmine.
Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) is experiencing a tumultuous change of living. Her wealthy husband Hal (Alec Baldwin) has been indicted for a Ponzi scheme that fleeced millions. Her posh New York lifestyle has vanished, Uncle Sam has frozen the assets that haven't been repossessed, and she's forced to move in with her working class sister, Ginger (Sally Hawkins), in San Francisco. Jasmine immediately has her complaints, mostly about the men that Ginger seems to date. She also tries adapting to a life she has been ill prepared for. Much like a domesticated animal, Jasmine's social skills and pricy tastes do not have real-world transitions into her getting a job and supporting herself. She's looking for a way to re-enter the shrine of privilege, and that it through a man of means.
blue-jasmine-trailer-1Blue Jasmine is a fascinating character study of a life of self-delusion, denial, greed, and guilt, and it is a marvelous film. Allen hasn't done something this cutting, this precise in several years and it's a reminder at just how skilled the man can be at building magnetic, fully realized characters, especially women. This is a rich, complex, and juicy character for an actress of the caliber of Blanchett (Hanna) to go wild with. Jasmine is something of a modern-day Blanch DuBois with a sprinkling of Jay Gatsby; she's a woman who's become accustomed to a luxurious fantasy world that she's still striving to recreate, but she also is a woman who reinvented herself. As we learn in the opening scene, Jasmine left school without finishing her degree when Hal whisked her off her feet, to a world of privilege. She even changed her name from Jeanette to Jasmine at her husband's whim. She also became particularly adept at looking the other way when it concerned her husband's shady dealings. Surely she must have known what was happening (in the end, it's pretty clear) but as long as her illusion of wealth was maintained then it was easy to not ask questions. Why ruin a good thing, even if that good thing is built upon ruining the lives of ordinary people? Two of those people bilked of their money were Ginger and Augie (Andrew Dice Clay), which make Jasmine's complicity all the more troubling. Every line of dialogue from Jasmine needs to be studied and dissected, analyzing how buried is the real Jasmine.
Jasmine's declining mental state is also given much attention and curiosity. We are watching in full view a woman go through various stages of a nervous breakdown. She's medicating herself via booze and a cocktail of prescription drugs, but there are hints that point to something other than substances at play. She hints at undergoing electric chock therapy (does this still exist?) and she may have a touch of mental illness as well, though it's unclear. Jasmine is given to talking to herself, reciting anecdotes and patter from previous parties with the rich and fabulous. It could be a sign of madness or it could be a desperate attempt by Jasmine to zone out, to return to that former life, to relive her former glory. Personally, I've done something similar, recited old conversations out loud to myself, though usually a line or so, not to the degree of recitation that Jasmine engages in. In the opening, it's revealed that the lady she's sitting next to on the plane, who we assume she's talking with, is really just a bystander. She tells her husband she was confused because Jasmine was really just talking to herself. As Jasmine tries to get back on her feet, with delusions of grandeur about reinventing herself again, her world seems to be collapsing around her as she struggles to adapt to the real working world. A receptionist job for a dentist is beneath her as well as far too much for her to handle. She has one real sincere heart-to-heart where she lays out her true feelings, and it's to her nephews in a pizza shop with no other adult present: "There's only so many traumas a person can withstand until they take to the streets and start screaming.
An enthralling character study, but Blue Jasmine also benefits from Allen's precise plotting, folding back into flashbacks to create contrast and revelations. There is an economical finesse to Allen's writing and directing. Every scene is short and sweet and imparts key knowledge, keeping the plot moving and fresh. It also provides back-story in a manner that feels unobtrusive. Jasmine's more modest living conditions with her sister are contrasted with apartment shopping in New York City's Upper West side. The class differences between Jasmine and her sister are put on full display when Ginger and Augie visit New York. However, Allen isn't only lambasting the out-of-touch rich elite here. Few characters escape analysis. In this story, everyone is pretending to be someone else, putting on fronts, personas, to try and puff themselves up. Once living with her sophisticated sister, Ginger starts seeing her world with new eyes, mainly finding dissatisfaction and a yearning that she could do better. She meets Al (Louis C.K.) at a fancy party and gets smitten, though he's not what he seems. She dumps her current boyfriend, buying into Jasmine's theory that she "dates losers because that's what she thinks she deserves." She tries to remodel herself into a posh, inaccurate version of herself, a knockoff on Jeanette to Jasmine. It's a bad fit. The person with the most integrity in the entire film appears to be, surprise, Andrew Dice Clay's character. Augie is a straightforward blue-collar guy but he has a clear sense of right and wrong, one that comes in handy when he's able to bust people.
blue-jasmine-trailerThis is much more a dramatic character study than a typical Allen comedy of neurosis, but I want to add that there are a number of laughs to be had, mostly derisive. There is comedy but it's of a tragicomedy vibe, one where we laugh at the social absurdities of self-deluded characters and the irony of chance encounters. It's far less bubbly than Midnight in Paris, Allen's last hit, but that serves the more serious, critical tone. The class conflicts made me chuckle, as well as Jasmine's hysterical antics and self-aggrandizing, but I was so thoroughly engaged with the characters and stories to complain about a lack of sufficient yuks. Confession: I generally enjoy Allen's dramas more than his straight-up comedies.
Naturally, the movie hinges on Blanchett's performance and the Oscar-winning actress is remarkable. I expect her to be a lock for another Oscar nomination if not the front-runner until later. She fully inhabits the character and lays out every tic, every neurosis, every anxiety, and every glimmer of doubt, of delusion, of humanity. She is a fully developed character given center stage, and it's a sheer pleasure to watch Blanchett give her such life. You'll feel a mixture of emotions with the character, from intrigue, to derision, to perhaps some fraying sense of sympathy, especially as the movie comes to an end. Blanchett balances the different faces of Jasmine with startling ease; she can slip into glamorous hostess to self-pitying victim to naiveté like turning a dial. I never tired of the character and I certainly never tired of watching Blanchett on screen.
Woody Allen has been a hit-or-miss filmmaker for over a decade, and you'll have that when the man has the perseverance to write and direct a movie every freaking year. I had a pet theory that, as of late, every three years was when we really got a great Allen movie: 2005's Match Point, 2008's Vicky Cristina Barcelona, 2011's Midnight in Paris. Well now my theory has been put to rest, thank you very much, all because Allen couldn't wait one more year to deliver Blue Jasmine, a truly great film. It's a tragicomedy of entertainment, an exacting character study of a flawed, complex, deeply deluded woman as her carefully calculated world breaks down. Anchored by Blanchett's supreme performance, the movie glides along with swift acumen, doling out revelations at a steady pace and consistently giving something dishy for the actors and audience to think about. It's funny, it's sad, but more than anything Blue Jasmine is compelling as hell. This is one of Allen's best films and one I'd recommend even to non-fans of the Woodman. Give Blue Jasmine a chance and you may be surprised what you feel, for the film and the woman, both complex, engaging, and memorable.
Nate's Grade: A
Alice S
Super Reviewer
September 4, 2013
Sally Hawkins is quite brilliant and subtly perky (unlike over-the-top perky in "Happy-Go-Lucky"). Bobby Cannavale is brutish yet sensitive. The script is cerebral yet natural. The comeuppances do indeed come, yet I'm still unsatisfied.
*SPOILERS*
I said "seemed" earlier because the ending is more of a non-ending. Nothing is truly resolved. I expected the movie to end with Jasmine dying by accident or committing suicide ala "Cassandra's Dream," thus rounding out a tragedy that is Greek in scope. OR I expected that Jasmine would get off scot free, marry Dwight, and live happily ever after without him finding out her sordid past ala "Crimes and Misdemeanors" or "Match Point," thus rendering the tragedy ironic.
Instead, we get a quivery close-up of Jasmine sitting alone on a bench - a sad tableau to be sure, but no definitive statement of her future. And Woody is never afraid to make a definitive statement, so I didn't appreciate the bland open-endedness this time. Nothing too terrible or wonderful is going to happen to her. She left the apartment door open, so I'm sure Ginger and Chili will go looking for her; it's not like they had the worst of falling outs. They'll probably take pity on Jasmine for another couple of months, then commit her to a sanitarium, which is already a classic American denouement for the former of the aforementioned Blanches.
The conscionable killer side of me was really raring for a bleak Woody Allen drama, and "Blue Jasmine" seemed to fit the bill with a luminous Cate Blanchett as the titular Jasmine, a former society maven whose marriage, finances, and family unravel ever-so-uncomfortably due to her hamartias of denial and hubris, as well as her odd habits of babbling to herself and others and dabbling in arts and phaux-philanthropy. Blanche(tt) is a frothy but formidable mix of Blanche Dubois and Blanche Devereaux, glistening with that fine-bone-structured charisma but also big ol' bullets of desperate perspiration.
Sally Hawkins is quite brilliant and subtly perky (unlike over-the-top perky in "Happy-Go-Lucky"). Bobby Cannavale is brutish yet sensitive. The script is cerebral yet natural. The comeuppances do indeed come, yet I'm still unsatisfied.
*SPOILERS*
I said "seemed" earlier because the ending is more of a non-ending. Nothing is truly resolved. I expected the movie to end with Jasmine dying by accident or committing suicide ala "Cassandra's Dream," thus rounding out a tragedy that is Greek in scope. OR I expected that Jasmine would get off scot free, marry Dwight, and live happily ever after without him finding out her sordid past ala "Crimes and Misdemeanors" or "Match Point," thus rendering the tragedy ironic.
Instead, we get a quivery close-up of Jasmine sitting alone on a bench - a sad tableau to be sure, but no definitive statement of her future. And Woody is never afraid to make a definitive statement, so I didn't appreciate the bland open-endedness this time. Nothing too terrible or wonderful is going to happen to her. She left the apartment door open, so I'm sure Ginger and Chili will go looking for her; it's not like they had the worst of falling outs. They'll probably take pity on Jasmine for another couple of months, then commit her to a sanitarium, which is already a classic American denouement for the former of the aforementioned Blanches.
Bathsheba Monk
Super Reviewer
August 26, 2013
Really subtle portrayal of guilt and answer to the question: what would I do for couple of diamond necklaces.
Universal D
Super Reviewer
July 17, 2013
There's plenty of humor in Allen's latest but it's difficult to laugh when the butt of the jokes is sooo familiar: Cate Blanchett plays us, no less, dupes so addicted to money that we are blind to where it comes from, and are stunned when the well abruptly runs dry. This cautionary tale almost plays like sci-fy, the shadings of the descent into lunacy so subtle, and secures Blanchett as the front runner Best Actress to beat bar none.
Byron B
Super Reviewer
April 13, 2013
Woody Allen directs an awesome ensemble cast. At the center is Cate Blanchett as Jasmine, or Jenette. Like the central figure in many Allen films, Jasmine is incredibly neurotic, but again Allen chooses a lead who has a unique delivery and ability to develop character without falling into a Woody Allen imitation. There is a hint of Streetcar Named Desire, however it has plenty of originality. Allen's personal trials may be a touchy subject, though it seems he is psychologically trying to air out some guilt symbolically through Alec Baldwin's character Hal. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it struck me as a bit autobiographical when Hal and Jasmine have their final couple confrontations. Part of the story shows Jasmine living the rich life in Manhattan and how the thin veneer of possessions and meaningful relationships can easily be chipped away. The second part of the plot observes Jasmine moving in with her sister in San Francisco. Sally Hawkins is superb as Ginger, Jasmine's sister. Well, they were both adopted and raised as sisters. Ginger has lived a lower class, yet fulfilled existence in California, presumably for her entire adult life, and Jasmine never tires of belittling her. Ginger's ex, Augie is played understated-ly by Andrew Dice Clay. Now Ginger is dating Chili, a surprisingly sweet tough guy, played by Bobby Cannavale. Jasmine tries to hold a menial job as receptionist for a dentist (Michael Stuhlbarg). And both sisters attempt to start new romantic relationships with men played by Louis C.K. and Peter Sarsgaard. Blanchett may well win a few awards for her portrayal of a woman, whose life is unraveling as she continues to pop pills and use gin or wine as a chaser.
Glenn G
Super Reviewer
August 22, 2013
Pretty much a character study guaranteed to give Cate Blanchett her 6th Oscar nomination, BLUE JASMINE is the story of a woman falling apart. An unsympathetic social climber who marries rich only to see her world crumble, Jasmine moves to San Francisco to live with her estranged sister (a fantastic, Oscar-worthy Sally Hawkins) and quickly loses her mind. Actually, her mind is already lost from frame one, but the escalation is astounding to watch. A West Coast STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE complete with its own Stanley Kowalski (a vivid, heartfelt performance by Bobby Cannavale), the film is less an homage and more a leaping off point for exploring the minutiae of a mental breakdown. Ever wonder what the story is behind that woman talking to herself on a park bench? Look no further.
I went in expecting a John Cassavettes-style along the lines of A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE, but Woody Allen doesn't seem interested in imitations here. This is simple, straightforward filmmaking devoid of any stylistic flourishes. The most daring technique he employs is a flashback structure, but it's so seamlessly integrated into the story that it never feels like it's stopping the progression of the tale. It's used to advance our understanding of Jasmine, always lurching us a little forward in our perceptions.
I am in awe of Allen and his cast's ability to make the story of someone so unlikable so compelling to watch. Jasmine is a snob who treats people terribly, yet her desperate hope for a better life, her need to hide her past is very touching. You don't have to like her, you just have to understand her.
The cast is pretty impeccable. Besides Blanchett, Hawkins, and Cannavale, Alec Baldwin is oddly charming as the Bernie Madoff-esque husband, Andrew Dice Clay gets to surprise with his natural acting talent as Hawkin's ex-husband, a victim of Baldwin's thievery, and Louis CK brings a warmth and naturalism to his handful of scenes as Hawkins' new boyfriend. Only Peter Sarsgaard underperforms as Jasmine's new love interest. He's perfectly serviceable but somewhat miscast, yet in his last scene, quite vivid. He just doesn't have a lot to chew on. Perhaps he saved it all for his Emmy-worthy turn this season on THE KILLING. I would have cast Kyle Chandler, who excels in showing the vulnerability in those tightly-buttoned Brooks Brothers men he plays so well.
Cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe doesn't do any more than the job requires. He has certainly made an impression with his past work, especially THE OTHERS, VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, and A BETTER LIFE, but with BLUE JASMINE, everything is shot in a very stately yet off-the-cuff fashion. It's as if Allen isn't interested in romanticizing San Francisco. A good, smart call. Almost devoid of beauty shots, and filled oddly with a cast of characters with heavy New York accents, this isn't a San Francisco to fall in love, it's a San Francisco to fall apart...
...and people fall apart beautifully in this film. My takeaway moments are in the perfectly understated yet heartbreaking way Hawkins plays a phone call scene between her and Louis CK. Blanchett is startling in her vulnerability when she encounters her step-son, or when confronted with her lies and feeling trapped by just about anyone. Hell, she doesn't have a false moment, and she's in almost every scene.
My biggest quibble with the film is a slight hint of misogyny during the big reveal. Without spoiling anything, it seems to place unfair blame on Jasmine's actions, simply because she's a crazy woman. I probably would have done the same thing she did and pointed the finger squarely at the real culprit, the person who did way more damage than she. This is a minor concern with a film that has so many riches, so much to startle and excite anyone interested in a deep, unflinching look at human behavior. It's the sign of a writer/director growing tired of beautiful travelogues and sinking his teeth into something real, and pure, and memorable.
There have been times when I've felt Woody Allen to be too prolific in his long career. I've often hoped he'd perhaps take a year or two off, refill his batteries, and come back with something to say. Maybe we would never had to suffer through ANYTHING ELSE, THE CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION, or CELEBRITY. But who am I to say that? We may never have had MANHATTAN without INTERIORS, or BULLETS OVER BROADWAY without MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERY. And so it is again with Woody following the trifling TO ROME WITH LOVE with one of his more substantial films, BLUE JASMINE.
Pretty much a character study guaranteed to give Cate Blanchett her 6th Oscar nomination, BLUE JASMINE is the story of a woman falling apart. An unsympathetic social climber who marries rich only to see her world crumble, Jasmine moves to San Francisco to live with her estranged sister (a fantastic, Oscar-worthy Sally Hawkins) and quickly loses her mind. Actually, her mind is already lost from frame one, but the escalation is astounding to watch. A West Coast STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE complete with its own Stanley Kowalski (a vivid, heartfelt performance by Bobby Cannavale), the film is less an homage and more a leaping off point for exploring the minutiae of a mental breakdown. Ever wonder what the story is behind that woman talking to herself on a park bench? Look no further.
I went in expecting a John Cassavettes-style along the lines of A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE, but Woody Allen doesn't seem interested in imitations here. This is simple, straightforward filmmaking devoid of any stylistic flourishes. The most daring technique he employs is a flashback structure, but it's so seamlessly integrated into the story that it never feels like it's stopping the progression of the tale. It's used to advance our understanding of Jasmine, always lurching us a little forward in our perceptions.
I am in awe of Allen and his cast's ability to make the story of someone so unlikable so compelling to watch. Jasmine is a snob who treats people terribly, yet her desperate hope for a better life, her need to hide her past is very touching. You don't have to like her, you just have to understand her.
The cast is pretty impeccable. Besides Blanchett, Hawkins, and Cannavale, Alec Baldwin is oddly charming as the Bernie Madoff-esque husband, Andrew Dice Clay gets to surprise with his natural acting talent as Hawkin's ex-husband, a victim of Baldwin's thievery, and Louis CK brings a warmth and naturalism to his handful of scenes as Hawkins' new boyfriend. Only Peter Sarsgaard underperforms as Jasmine's new love interest. He's perfectly serviceable but somewhat miscast, yet in his last scene, quite vivid. He just doesn't have a lot to chew on. Perhaps he saved it all for his Emmy-worthy turn this season on THE KILLING. I would have cast Kyle Chandler, who excels in showing the vulnerability in those tightly-buttoned Brooks Brothers men he plays so well.
Cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe doesn't do any more than the job requires. He has certainly made an impression with his past work, especially THE OTHERS, VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA, and A BETTER LIFE, but with BLUE JASMINE, everything is shot in a very stately yet off-the-cuff fashion. It's as if Allen isn't interested in romanticizing San Francisco. A good, smart call. Almost devoid of beauty shots, and filled oddly with a cast of characters with heavy New York accents, this isn't a San Francisco to fall in love, it's a San Francisco to fall apart...
...and people fall apart beautifully in this film. My takeaway moments are in the perfectly understated yet heartbreaking way Hawkins plays a phone call scene between her and Louis CK. Blanchett is startling in her vulnerability when she encounters her step-son, or when confronted with her lies and feeling trapped by just about anyone. Hell, she doesn't have a false moment, and she's in almost every scene.
My biggest quibble with the film is a slight hint of misogyny during the big reveal. Without spoiling anything, it seems to place unfair blame on Jasmine's actions, simply because she's a crazy woman. I probably would have done the same thing she did and pointed the finger squarely at the real culprit, the person who did way more damage than she. This is a minor concern with a film that has so many riches, so much to startle and excite anyone interested in a deep, unflinching look at human behavior. It's the sign of a writer/director growing tired of beautiful travelogues and sinking his teeth into something real, and pure, and memorable.
Harlequin68
Super Reviewer
August 21, 2013
"Blue Jasmine" is probably one of the most blue collar movies Woody Allen has made in a long time.(It is also one of the only one of his movies where children have played any kind of role.) To that end, he does a surprisingly good job of depicting the lives of characters who struggle through life on a daily basis. In any case, the important thing is to have something to call one's own, no matter how small.
Otherwise, Woody Allen captures San Francisco very well, especially its less glamorous spots; and also knows enough to get out of the way of another monumental Cate Blanchett performance, as she manages to make such a self-involved character at least a little appealing. And Sally Hawkins balances the movie nicely as the other half of the sibling rivalry. But as well-formed as their world seems most of the time, Allen also has a tendency here to rush through details such as relationships, often going from zero to full commitment in a heartbeat.
Having nowhere else to go after the arrest of her husband Hal(Alec Baldwin) on fraud charges, Jasmine(Cate Blanchett), nee Jeanette, goes to San Francisco to stay with her sister Ginger(Sally Hawkins) and is mortified at the modesty of her apartment. Ginger's ex-husband Augie(Andrew Dice Clay) wishes she had not come to their city in the first place since Hal is responsible for fleecing the couple of their lottery winnings which could have set up their own business. Still, Ginger is more forgiving, as she attempts to set her up with a friend of her current boyfriend Chili(Bobby Cannavale). On the professional side, Jasmine gets a job as a dental receptionist while learning about computers which she can use to get a degree on interior decorating.
"Blue Jasmine" is probably one of the most blue collar movies Woody Allen has made in a long time.(It is also one of the only one of his movies where children have played any kind of role.) To that end, he does a surprisingly good job of depicting the lives of characters who struggle through life on a daily basis. In any case, the important thing is to have something to call one's own, no matter how small.
Otherwise, Woody Allen captures San Francisco very well, especially its less glamorous spots; and also knows enough to get out of the way of another monumental Cate Blanchett performance, as she manages to make such a self-involved character at least a little appealing. And Sally Hawkins balances the movie nicely as the other half of the sibling rivalry. But as well-formed as their world seems most of the time, Allen also has a tendency here to rush through details such as relationships, often going from zero to full commitment in a heartbeat.
Mark A
Super Reviewer
August 18, 2013
A portrait of a woman on the edge, written and directed by Woody Allen. It was almost painful to watch Cate Blanchett's performance as the titular Jasmine, a woman used to living the lifestyle of the rich and famous, and whose world had suddenly collapsed around her, leaving her practically homeless. This is Blanchett's film and she pulls it off nearly flawlessly. I smell Oscar with this one. Sally Hawkins plays her sister, Ginger, a blue-collar waif with two boys, a bitter ex-husband (who was duped by Jasmine's ex into investing a family windfall), and a loutish boyfriend (played by Andrew Dice Clay), and who allows Jasmine to move in with her. The cast boasts several well known faces in supporting roles. The script is wordy, as one would expect, but not a word is wasted. Some terrific scenery of San Francisco, beautiful interiors, and a heart-breaking story of loss added in make this a worthy addition to the Allen oeuvre.
Jeffrey M
Super Reviewer
September 13, 2013
Blue Jasmine follows a housewife, Cate Blanchett, who experiences a profound fall from grace after her ostentatiously wealthy husband, Alex Baldwin, is disgraced, having been found to be a fraudster. Jasmine finds herself seeking the help of her adopted sister, whom she continues to treat with a veiled disdain.
Whereas some of Allen's best films are lighter, Blue Jasmine represents Allen's return to more of a drama, albeit one whose darkness is matched with Allen's characteristic dry humor. The film works as an excellent commentary of the extraordinarily rich, while not condescending to the characters. It does this through a framework of family dynamics, which are layered in their complexity.
The best part of the film is, by far, Cate Blanchett's performance. She embodies the shallow narcissist perfectly, but also an exceedingly vulnerable and broken woman, prone to delusions. Her character feels real, her behavior, though often reprehensible, is relatable. All of the relationship dynamics involved are well executed and feel authentic. She is matched well by excellent performances from all around, especially Alec Baldwin, as the charming yet slimy real estate mogul.
The film's complexity is hard to convey without watching the film, as the nuance is conveyed often visually, and is inextricably related to the performances on screen. It is an intelligent entry by Allen, and one of the stronger film's of the year thus far.
4.5/5 Stars
As varied in quality as Woody Allen's films can be, Blue Jasmine represents an undeniable return to brilliance, rivaling Midnight in Paris for the best Allen film within at least the last decade. It's a film of nuance, of humor, of terrific performances, a creative narrative structure, and a poignant message.
Blue Jasmine follows a housewife, Cate Blanchett, who experiences a profound fall from grace after her ostentatiously wealthy husband, Alex Baldwin, is disgraced, having been found to be a fraudster. Jasmine finds herself seeking the help of her adopted sister, whom she continues to treat with a veiled disdain.
Whereas some of Allen's best films are lighter, Blue Jasmine represents Allen's return to more of a drama, albeit one whose darkness is matched with Allen's characteristic dry humor. The film works as an excellent commentary of the extraordinarily rich, while not condescending to the characters. It does this through a framework of family dynamics, which are layered in their complexity.
The best part of the film is, by far, Cate Blanchett's performance. She embodies the shallow narcissist perfectly, but also an exceedingly vulnerable and broken woman, prone to delusions. Her character feels real, her behavior, though often reprehensible, is relatable. All of the relationship dynamics involved are well executed and feel authentic. She is matched well by excellent performances from all around, especially Alec Baldwin, as the charming yet slimy real estate mogul.
The film's complexity is hard to convey without watching the film, as the nuance is conveyed often visually, and is inextricably related to the performances on screen. It is an intelligent entry by Allen, and one of the stronger film's of the year thus far.
4.5/5 Stars
Jeff B.
Super Reviewer
September 8, 2013
In this R-rated drama, the widow (Blanchett) of a Madoff-type investor (Baldwin) struggles to adjust once the high life crumbles.
With a turn that proves both beautiful and withering in the same scene, Cate Blanchett pulls ahead as an early Oscar Best Actress favorite. Thanks to pitch perfect support from Alec Baldwin, Sally Hawkins, Andrew Dice Clay, Louis CK, Allen can technically call this an ensemble but Jasmine only blooms because Blanchett says so.
Bottom line: Blue is the new Gold.
If Woody Allen's latest happens to leave filmgoers a little Blue, it's only because this auteur paints such a ridiculously engrossing portrait of a woman well past the verge of a nervous breakdown. A timely tale of financial malfeasance AND a brilliant bi-polar character study, this cross-cutting story is as every bit as gut-punchingly brutal as Crimes and Misdemeanors with moments as gut-bustingly funny as Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Boasting a searingly heartfelt performance, the film presents the auteur at his best. Oh, we're not talking the best of any particular period - be it what many have called his recent comeback (Match Point, Midnight in Paris), his lost years (Bullets Over Broadway, Mighty Aphrodite), his middle years (Purple Rose of Cairo, Hannah and Her Sisters), and his classic years (Annie Hall, Manhattan) - but the whole kvetch and caboodle.
In this R-rated drama, the widow (Blanchett) of a Madoff-type investor (Baldwin) struggles to adjust once the high life crumbles.
With a turn that proves both beautiful and withering in the same scene, Cate Blanchett pulls ahead as an early Oscar Best Actress favorite. Thanks to pitch perfect support from Alec Baldwin, Sally Hawkins, Andrew Dice Clay, Louis CK, Allen can technically call this an ensemble but Jasmine only blooms because Blanchett says so.
Bottom line: Blue is the new Gold.
SC007
Super Reviewer
August 27, 2013
The film is not Allen's greatest. It is predictable. My biggest problem with the film was the style and structure of the film. There was a moment that I couldn't tell if I was watching a flashback scene or a scene in present time. There shouldn't be any confusion like that in a movie.
Still, I do recommend the film for the performances, especially Cate Blanchett.
Cate Blanchett's performance is oscar worthy. The performances are the best part of this film. Sally Hawkins in very good playing Cate's sister in the film. I was also very impressed with both Andrew Dice Clay and Louis C.K. in the film. I never thought I would see either comedian in a Woody Allen film.
The film is not Allen's greatest. It is predictable. My biggest problem with the film was the style and structure of the film. There was a moment that I couldn't tell if I was watching a flashback scene or a scene in present time. There shouldn't be any confusion like that in a movie.
Still, I do recommend the film for the performances, especially Cate Blanchett.
Joey S
Super Reviewer
July 23, 2013
Cate Blanchett is Jasmine, a privileged socialite from New York married to a fabulously wealthy businessman (Alec Baldwin). After she discovers that her husband has been stealing money from the government and having extramarital affairs for years, Jasmine loses both her money and her husband, and she's forced to move in with her sister (Sally Hawkins) in San Francisco.
As her life spirals rapidly out of control, Jasmine struggles with anxiety issues while refusing to conform to her sister's far less extravagant lifestyle of small apartments and menial jobs. As Jasmine pursues her dream of going back to school and becoming an interior designer, she gradually loses touch with reality and becomes increasingly panicked about her life falling apart.
Cate Blanchett is mesmerizing in the lead role, stealing every scene with her manic performance as a woman in the midst of a nervous breakdown. Blanchett captures Jasmine's fragile emotional state with just the right mix of psychotic mumbling and tragic hopelessness, forming a character that's complex if not particularly likeable. Blanchett's performance is easily the best of her career, and it's likely to make her a strong contender for an Academy Award.
Aside from the addition of Jasmine's husband and a change of locale from New Orleans to San Francisco, the plot is taken directly from the Tennessee Williams play A Streetcar Named Desire. Woody Allen cleverly adjusts the story and characters of that play to fit a more modern setting, and it causes the movie to feel old-fashioned in a great way.
Although the drama and performances are spot-on, Blue Jasmine does suffer from a confusing structure. There are frequent flashbacks to Jasmine's former life with her deceitful husband, but it's never made clear that these are flashbacks, so the timeline of the plot can get confusing at times. The flashbacks stop occurring about an hour into the movie, but it causes the story to seem a little unclear near the beginning.
The movie also seems to be missing Woody Allen's trademark humor. The movie clearly aims to both a dark comedy and a drama, but it's far successful as a drama. Although there are a number of moments that are played for laughs, the funny scenes are decidedly infrequent and downplayed in favor of a more serious tone. It's hard to laugh at a character as pitiful as Jasmine, who is humiliated time and time again by everyone from her piggish boss at work to her sister's crude boyfriend.
Blue Jasmine does have its flaws, but despite having less humor than usual, it's one of Woody Allen's better films of recent years. Above all it demonstrates that, even after directing 42 films in the last four decades, Allen is showing no signs of slowing down and he is just as clever and impressive as ever.
Woody Allen created a name for himself by writing, directing, and frequently starring in intelligent comedies that have a touch of drama. From Annie Hall to Midnight In Paris, he's widely respected and admired for his ability to create stories that are funny but insightful. His newest film Blue Jasmine veers slightly from this formula by taking a more serious approach, and it ends up forming a poignant tragedy that ranks among his better works.
Cate Blanchett is Jasmine, a privileged socialite from New York married to a fabulously wealthy businessman (Alec Baldwin). After she discovers that her husband has been stealing money from the government and having extramarital affairs for years, Jasmine loses both her money and her husband, and she's forced to move in with her sister (Sally Hawkins) in San Francisco.
As her life spirals rapidly out of control, Jasmine struggles with anxiety issues while refusing to conform to her sister's far less extravagant lifestyle of small apartments and menial jobs. As Jasmine pursues her dream of going back to school and becoming an interior designer, she gradually loses touch with reality and becomes increasingly panicked about her life falling apart.
Cate Blanchett is mesmerizing in the lead role, stealing every scene with her manic performance as a woman in the midst of a nervous breakdown. Blanchett captures Jasmine's fragile emotional state with just the right mix of psychotic mumbling and tragic hopelessness, forming a character that's complex if not particularly likeable. Blanchett's performance is easily the best of her career, and it's likely to make her a strong contender for an Academy Award.
Aside from the addition of Jasmine's husband and a change of locale from New Orleans to San Francisco, the plot is taken directly from the Tennessee Williams play A Streetcar Named Desire. Woody Allen cleverly adjusts the story and characters of that play to fit a more modern setting, and it causes the movie to feel old-fashioned in a great way.
Although the drama and performances are spot-on, Blue Jasmine does suffer from a confusing structure. There are frequent flashbacks to Jasmine's former life with her deceitful husband, but it's never made clear that these are flashbacks, so the timeline of the plot can get confusing at times. The flashbacks stop occurring about an hour into the movie, but it causes the story to seem a little unclear near the beginning.
The movie also seems to be missing Woody Allen's trademark humor. The movie clearly aims to both a dark comedy and a drama, but it's far successful as a drama. Although there are a number of moments that are played for laughs, the funny scenes are decidedly infrequent and downplayed in favor of a more serious tone. It's hard to laugh at a character as pitiful as Jasmine, who is humiliated time and time again by everyone from her piggish boss at work to her sister's crude boyfriend.
Blue Jasmine does have its flaws, but despite having less humor than usual, it's one of Woody Allen's better films of recent years. Above all it demonstrates that, even after directing 42 films in the last four decades, Allen is showing no signs of slowing down and he is just as clever and impressive as ever.
