Starring: Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Peter Sarsgaard, Sally Hawkins, and Louis C.K.
Directed by: Woody Allen
Screenplay by: Woody Allen
Here we have an interesting perspective on what it's like to lose everything we have in life.
Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) has lost just about everything she's ever had. Her husband Hal (Alec Baldwin) has recently been arrested and thrown in prison for massive fraud. The government has seized almost all their wealth, leaving Jasmine with a sense of denial that all of this is really happening. Seeking to start a new life, she moves to San Francisco to live with her sister, Ginger (Sally Hawkins), while she can try to pick up the pieces and move on if she can. Meanwhile, Ginger is dealing with some troubles of her own.
This is a somewhat troubling story line that is performed quite well and in an interesting fashion. None of these characters seem like characters audience members are supposed to identify with, either in part or as a whole. In this sense, it feels a lot like other Woody Allen movies. There aren't any particularly good characters or particularly bad characters. Each of these characters brings a different aspect to the story, making for an interesting clash in this film.
I also like this story because it only gets more complicated and more convoluted as the film goes on, and it becomes increasingly more difficult to see that anything can be resolved. We are constantly given hints that things will be resolved, but we are also given clues that nothing is actually going to change. It seems that by the film's end, the characters will be in the same exact places they were in when we first meet them. It's the kind of film that will make you think after you leave the theater, but you might be thinking one of a million different things.
The acting in this film is terrific from all of the actors. But Cate Blanchett delivers the strongest performance in Blue Jasmine. Her character is easily the most complicated and complex characters in the film and cannot be played by just any actress. It's a little too early to say if I think she'll get nominated for any of the best actress awards, but I'll get my hopes up and hope that she will get the nomination for best actress, either for a golden globe, an Oscar, or both.
I am quite fond of the cinematography of this film as well. Many people might not notice anything special or unique about the cinematography of Woody Allen films, but there is something interesting about it.
In a giant blockbuster film such as The Avengers (2012), the cinematographer and director might attempt to create an immersive experience. You won't feel like you're sitting in a chair in a dark movie theater watching action packed scenes on a giant screen in front of you. You'll feel like you're in the film itself, making for a more immersive, and sometimes better, film viewing experience.
This film has the opposite goal. You're supposed to feel like you're in a dark theater watching the movie on a screen. You're not supposed to feel like you're a part of the film. The cinematography of Blue Jasmine would suggest that you're simply a fly on the wall in the scene and there's nothing you can do about it. Blue Jasmine is one of those films where I would prefer to be in this situation, rather than actually feel like I'm part of the film.
Overall, this is a rather depressing film. It doesn't make one feel particularly good about life and certainly might make one want to be around others after the movie. It will be an interesting discussion if you see this film with others. So, I strongly recommend seeing this film with friends and discussing it over dinner afterwards or something like that. It takes a while to process what you just saw, but trust me, it's worth seeing.
I give Blue Jasmine a B+.
Directed by: Woody Allen
Screenplay by: Woody Allen
Here we have an interesting perspective on what it's like to lose everything we have in life.
Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) has lost just about everything she's ever had. Her husband Hal (Alec Baldwin) has recently been arrested and thrown in prison for massive fraud. The government has seized almost all their wealth, leaving Jasmine with a sense of denial that all of this is really happening. Seeking to start a new life, she moves to San Francisco to live with her sister, Ginger (Sally Hawkins), while she can try to pick up the pieces and move on if she can. Meanwhile, Ginger is dealing with some troubles of her own.
This is a somewhat troubling story line that is performed quite well and in an interesting fashion. None of these characters seem like characters audience members are supposed to identify with, either in part or as a whole. In this sense, it feels a lot like other Woody Allen movies. There aren't any particularly good characters or particularly bad characters. Each of these characters brings a different aspect to the story, making for an interesting clash in this film.
I also like this story because it only gets more complicated and more convoluted as the film goes on, and it becomes increasingly more difficult to see that anything can be resolved. We are constantly given hints that things will be resolved, but we are also given clues that nothing is actually going to change. It seems that by the film's end, the characters will be in the same exact places they were in when we first meet them. It's the kind of film that will make you think after you leave the theater, but you might be thinking one of a million different things.
The acting in this film is terrific from all of the actors. But Cate Blanchett delivers the strongest performance in Blue Jasmine. Her character is easily the most complicated and complex characters in the film and cannot be played by just any actress. It's a little too early to say if I think she'll get nominated for any of the best actress awards, but I'll get my hopes up and hope that she will get the nomination for best actress, either for a golden globe, an Oscar, or both.
I am quite fond of the cinematography of this film as well. Many people might not notice anything special or unique about the cinematography of Woody Allen films, but there is something interesting about it.
In a giant blockbuster film such as The Avengers (2012), the cinematographer and director might attempt to create an immersive experience. You won't feel like you're sitting in a chair in a dark movie theater watching action packed scenes on a giant screen in front of you. You'll feel like you're in the film itself, making for a more immersive, and sometimes better, film viewing experience.
This film has the opposite goal. You're supposed to feel like you're in a dark theater watching the movie on a screen. You're not supposed to feel like you're a part of the film. The cinematography of Blue Jasmine would suggest that you're simply a fly on the wall in the scene and there's nothing you can do about it. Blue Jasmine is one of those films where I would prefer to be in this situation, rather than actually feel like I'm part of the film.
Overall, this is a rather depressing film. It doesn't make one feel particularly good about life and certainly might make one want to be around others after the movie. It will be an interesting discussion if you see this film with others. So, I strongly recommend seeing this film with friends and discussing it over dinner afterwards or something like that. It takes a while to process what you just saw, but trust me, it's worth seeing.
I give Blue Jasmine a B+.
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