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Change is inevitable throughout our lifetime, and we can either accept it gracefully or go down the road Jasmine French (Cate Blanchett) goes in the new film Blue Jasmine. Directed by Woody Allen, his forty ninth film, for those keeping score at home, Blue Jasmine is the story of Jasmine, a prefect, rich housewife who has her life all put together until her husband (Alec Baldwin) is arrested for tax fraud and she is left flat broke. After the incident Jasmine begins to experience panic attacks. She escapes New York for San Francisco to stay with her adopted sister (Sally Hawkins), and to start a new life, but somehow her old life cannot seem to leave her.
Woody Allen has always been a director who places a major emphasis on surroundings, whether it would be New York, Italy or Paris. But Blue Jasmine is more character based. Instead of focusing on a city and showing the beauty and magic of it, he intercuts scenes of Jasmine from San Francisco and New York to show the audience how little she has learned from this experience. The Jasmine from San Francisco is basically the same Jasmine from New York, except with less money, but you would not think she knew that based on all of the Louis Vuitton handbags she has.
Cate Blanchett is stellar in this role as a character who is not supposed to be relatable or likeable. She is crude, naïve, and an extremely dumbfounding person, especially when she is trying to look for a job or interact with her sister and her brother-in-law, Chili (Bobby Cannavale). She does not seem like a person who does not deserve a second chance, but Blanchett has this charisma about her that exudes from the character that makes Jasmine more likable than she should be. Her scenes with Cannavale are so painstakingly biting and funny, they are often the most humanizing moments for Jasmine. I’m already hopping on the Cate Blanchett Oscar bandwagon, if anyone would like to join.
Like just about every other Woody Allen film, it is incredible gorgeous and well-shot. There are some wonderful shots of the Bay Bridge and of the city itself, but also show a rural side of San Francisco that is typically not shown. The supporting cast is also terrific, along with Cannavale, the film features Andrew Dice Clay, Peter Sarsgaard, and Louie C.K. who steals the entire film.
This is one of the most honest films of the year not because of its unforgiving quality. Jasmine does not change because she did not want to change. It is funny and sad all that the same time and hit the right notes when it needs to. I expect this to be a major Oscar contender this February.
