Viewed in
2014
Formats
HDTV
Premise
Cate Blanchett stars as a formerly-rich widow forced to live with her poorer sister after her crooked husband left her destitute. Written and directed by Woody Allen.
Liked
Charming performances, comedic messiness in second act.
Thoughts
Another enjoyable, and slightly unique, entry from Allen.
Blanchett definitely deserved all the praise. She brought her A-plus game in an unforgettable performance blending madness and snobbery that was inspired and evoked many laughs from me. Sally Hawkins, playing her exasperated sister, was also very deserving of her nomination. Meanwhile, the rest of the movie was littered with very fun performances from all sorts of dudes, from Bobby Cannavale, Andrew Dice Clay(!), Louis C.K., and Alec Baldwin (perfectly cast as the immoral husband).
My favorite section was the middle, as Blanchett's vapid, conceited outlook on men rubbed off on Hawkins, leading to a very humorous tangle of webs of lies, infidelity, and false impressions. I adored the scene of Blanchett yammering on about herself while her sister's kids watched dumbfounded.
While some aspects of this movie was very Woody Allen-esque, like the parade of jazz songs, it actually wasn't as chatterboxey as some of his previous works. I also appreciated that he went out of his comfort zone by leaving the Big Apple, setting the story in San Francisco. But why was everyone in the Bay Area talking in New York accents?
There were other issues with the movie. Dice Clay's impact on the third act was a bit too convenient of a reveal. And while I enjoyed her performance, I usually find it hard to enjoy movies as a whole where the main character doesn't learn their lessons.
Overall, Blue Jasmine succeeded not just on Blanchett's acclaimed acting, but also on the surrounding cast, and a fun second act.
