Woody Allen (1935) is a phenomenon. Since 1977, he has made at least one new film every year, a feat no other filmmaker can match. BLUE JASMINE is a huge success with both the public and critics. In England, he is the most successful Woody Allen ever, particularly due to the sublime acting of Cate Blanchett and the razor-sharp screenplay. Blue JASMINE can be compared to his best works such as MANHATTAN, ANNIE HALL, and ZELIG: grand urban dramas that offer a humorous insight into the human condition. His last films were made in Rome and Paris. Now, the bespectacled New Yorker has shot BLUE JASMINE in America again, drawing on more serious films like INTERIORS and HANNAH AND HER SISTERS.

Jasmine (Cate Blanchett), a beautiful, wealthy, and neurotic woman from New York's high society, loses everything: her husband, her luxury homes, and all her possessions. She has just divorced her seemingly successful husband (Alec Baldwin). However, this rather smooth businessman turns out to be a notorious con artist and womanizer. Totally penniless except for a few designer suitcases, Jasmine ends up with her sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins) in San Francisco. In every way, Ginger is Jasmine's opposite. She lives in a small house, works in a grocery store, and has a tough but not-too-bright boyfriend. Jasmine, who has never worked in her life, takes a computer course and finds a job as a dental assistant. She leaves quickly when the dentist forces himself upon her. At a party, Jasmine meets a handsome, successful man and seems to be getting her life back on track.

Jasmine is, factually speaking, a spoiled brat. She shows little compassion for her sister and looks down on her friends, whom she calls losers. The prima donna washes down one tranquilizer after another with a hefty gulp of strong liquor. Yet, as a viewer, you sympathize with her because she is endearing in her vulnerability. At times she is arrogant, then oversensitive, snobbish, charming, or completely out of it. An emotional rollercoaster. Cate Blanchett is the undisputed winner of the Oscar for Best Actress in 2014.

In addition to Blanchett's magnificent acting, the other roles also come across very well. Sally Hawkins, known from HAPPY GO LUCKY, keeps her performance beautifully natural. Andrew Dice Clay is also convincing as Ginger's rough-and-tumble friend.
Woody Allen's screenplay is written with great pace. In a masterful manner, he succeeds in dissecting recognizable relationship problems using dark humor. An example of this Allenian humor: Ginger is arguing fiercely with her boyfriend. Jasmin walks in and asks if they can't stop, because 'her nerve pill hasn't sunk in yet'. With BLUE JASMINE, Allen shows that age plays no role in making an extremely vital film.

Directed by: Woody Allen
Cast: Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Sally Hawkins.
Duration: 98 minutes.
Year: 2013
Rating: xxxx



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