+ Best San Francisco Movie of the Year
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| Cate Blanchett and San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge feature prominently on this poster for Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine |
Jasmine arrives at her sister's in San Francisco and immediately starts to put down her mechanic fiancée. But she is on bare ground herself, SPOILER after being released from a mental hospital following her swindling husband's arrest and suicide.
An Oscar-winning Cate Blanchett, (her second Oscar; the first one was for The Aviator (2004)), glows ever so brightly in Blue Jasmine, where she gets backed up by a stellar cast that includes an Oscar-nominated Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)) as her sister, as well as Bobby Cannavale (Win Win (2011)), Peter Sarsgaard (Boys Don't Cry (1999)) and Alec Baldwin (30 Rock (2006-13)) as the bastard husband, - they are a collective treat here, all of them showing what real acting is.
The film is really, really, really well-written, from the names to the dialog to the characters themselves and the structure, - by master filmmaker Woody Allen (Broadway Danny Rose (1984)), who was also Oscar-nominated for his job. - Blue Jasmine is superiorly constructed, totally plausible, and as much of a psychological drama as it is a comedy, in fact more so. It really is a sad film, - a very good, sad film, - and very well-titled as such.
Blanchett seems, though perhaps this derives from the part itself, to be very inspired by Gena Rowlands' performance in John Cassavetes' classic A Woman Under the Influence (1974), which is a bit like this film but without most of the laughs. Both films are spectacular in their own ways.
Blue Jasmine deals with the theme of happiness vs. eternally striving for better things in one's life, the American way, even if it leads to misery, which is interesting and wisely served here. I wonder if he was inspired to write this after meeting a woman like Jasmine somewhere, talking to herself. If so, the inspiration was divine: Blue Jasmine is absolutely among the year's best films.
Related posts:
Woody Allen: Magic in the Moonlight (2014) - Allen's irresistible French Riviera romance
2013 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED VI]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]
To Rome with Love (2012) - Woody Allen's slightest film to date
Cassandra's Dream (2007) - Allen's well-laid but inconsequentiel English cul-de-sac
Anything Else (2003) - Perfect contemporary relationship comedy
Celebrity (1998) or, Beautiful Celebrities Talk About Sex (guest review)
Broadyway Danny Rose (1984) or, Keep Your Heart
Annie Hall (1977) or, My Relationship with Alvie Singer
Bananas (1971) - Woody Allen's South American misadventure is still a barrel of laughs
Casino Royale (1967) - The packed spy spoof frontrunner, a film very much of its time (as actor)
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| Oscar-winning Cate Blanchett is an actress with formidable control of her talent, as seen in Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine |
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| Alec Baldwin is superb as the fraudulent husband in Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine |
Cost: 18 mil. $
Box office: 97.7 mil. $
= Big hit
[With a limited opening in LA and New York, similar to that of his successful Midnight in Paris (2011)), Jasmine amazed with Allen's best per screen average ever, and it could then open very strongly both in and out of America, where his fans abound, with great reviews meeting it almost everywhere.]
What do you think of Blue Jasmine?
What is your favorite Cate Blanchett performance?
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