Blue Jasmine (2013) Movie Review

Blue Jasmine (2013) Movie Review

Rated PG-13
98 minutes
Directed by Woody Allen

Blue Jasmine is the story of Jasmine (Cate Blanchett), and her downfall from riches to rags. Her husband, Hal (Alec Baldwin) is defrauding all of his clients that give him money. He eventually gets caught, gets arrested, and hangs himself. In the middle of a mental breakdown, Jasmine flies to San Fransisco, and starts living with her sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins) and her 2 sons. As she starts to try to get her life back, she is faced with the fact that she might not be able to let go.

First off, let me just say that Cate Blanchett is fantastic as Jasmine. She inhibits her incredibly, and you never feel like you're watching an actress perform a role, you feel like you're watching a nutcase just descend into a whirlpool that she can't get out of. I had a soft spot for Ginger's boyfriend Chili (Bobby Canavale), who is a sweet person threatened by the fact that his girlfriend may in fact be cheating on him, and Canavale pulls it off very well. This is also a very different direction for Woody, as far as I can tell, as it is not overtly funny. And, it looked beautiful. I was able to feel the environment around them, and not for a second did I question that they shot it on location.

But, there were some issues as well. The character played by Louis C.K. does hardly anything for the movie. It feels like he's only there because Woody wanted a dramatic scene about which guy is Ginger going to choose. Also, there were problems with the way dialogue was presented. It felt almost like the actors were supposed to overlap with lines, and the fact that there were some long pauses in between the dialogue that I felt weren't supposed to be there. And finally, the way they use flashbacks in the movie was rather jarring. It was like this: You were i the middle of a scene, and then, the editor comes out and says "TIME FOR A FLASHBACK!". It took me out of the movie a little, because I had to think, "Is this scene a flashback, or is it set in the present?".

But, all in all, it was a good movie with great performances, and a (mostly) well rounded script that make you wondering how Jasmine is going to get her life back in order. 

3.5 out of 5

B