Woody Allen is a very different kind of director compared to the rest of the dominant Hollywood gang. He doesn’t really care about awards or ceremonies, he never watches any of his films after he has finished them, he cares little for the drama of Hollywood and prefers to stay his favourite city in the world, New York. By all accounts, Allen has always been a strange fish.
However, most leading actors in the world would kill for the opportunity to work for him. Why? Allen runs a tight ship, he keeps all of his films within a certain regime, which includes budgets, but as well as that, he is most definitely a work horse. Since 1969, Allen has turned out a film nearly every year in some way or another, either by directing, writing or starring in a feature. Allen has also directed 15 actors and actresses to Oscar wins.
However, occasionally, Allen comes across as the smart ass at the party, the guy who has all of the answers to absolutely everything but that no one really wants to talk to because he can be a little intimidating. Often, Allen’s films can be completely inaccessible, depending on his mood that particular year. Some have been absolute classics like Manhattan, others have been slightly hit and miss like Match Point. Blue Jasmine on the other hand, is probably one of his finest films.
Revolving around the lead character Jasmine (Cate Blanchett), the film tells the story of a New York socialite who is forced to move in with her sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins) after she has lost her fortune. From the first scene, the audience is unsure how exactly this has happened but through a series of flashbacks we are introduced to her husband Hal (Alec Baldwin), who doesn’t exactly seem to be a faithful husband in more ways than one.
However, Jasmine’s arrival soon begins to have an impact on events that are taking place around her. Despite the fact that Ginger seems to be entirely happy with her lot, she encourages her to find another guy as her current boyfriend Chili (Bobby Cannavale) is not exactly what she considers husband material. Jasmine soon finds a replacement for the loss of Hal, but her past begins to catch up with her and everything suddenly unravels.
There is no other way to put this, Cate Blanchett is a tour de force in Blue Jasmine, a performance that is so well delivered you will in fact believe she is the damaged Jasmine, someone who claims the victim and blames everyone around her for her downfall but still manages to manipulate every situation around her to her benefit. Working on a project like this takes a certain amount of courage, and Blanchett completely immerses herself in the character, wearing the designer wardrobe flawlessly, looking every inch the New York socialite that she is expected to be, and yet it seems totally effortless.
However, she can count on some amazing performances from her supporting cast; Sally Hawkins as Ginger and Alec Baldwin as Hal are, of course, brilliant but the real comedic performance comes from Bobby Cannavale as Chili, who certainly delivers the most laughs. The complexities which exist between the characters are undertaken with complete normality, despite the fact of Jasmine’s obvious wealth, this could be any family experiencing problems and just life in general.
The script is brilliant, certainly taking its starting point from the wonderful Streetcar Named Desire. Funny, touching in places and cleverly constructed, Allen’s Blue Jasmine works better than most of the projects he has worked on over the years, with the exception of Midnight in Paris and Vicky, Crisitina, Barcelona.
If there is perhaps one complaint to be made, it is unfortunately that the film can feel weighed down in parts due to the dialogue heavy approach but this is always to be expected of Allen.
That is of no matter, they will be talking about Blanchett’s performance for years to come.
