September
27
Tags
BLUE JASMINE
BLUE JASMINE
Run time: 98mins
Release date: 27 September
Director: Woody Allen Cast: Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Peter Sarsgaard, Sally Hawkins
Synopsis: A New York housewife struggles through a life crisis.
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Woody Allen is back on form with this serious tale of a self-medicating, heavy drinking Manhattan socialite who has lost everything. Cate Blanchett as Jasmine is mesmerising in every scene where she convinces as a woman disintegrating with the loss of her status and lavish lifestyle. After discovering that her unfaithful husband, Hal (Baldwin) is also seriously financially shady, Jasmine must try to rebuild her life. This finds her heading to estranged sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins) in San Francisco and her blue collar boyfriend Chili (Bobby Canavale). The action flits between Jasmine now and her former glory days in Park Avenue dining and partying. Jasmine alternates between pill popping and vodka drinking; she talks to herself and lectures and hectors anyone else around. The atmosphere with her family is volcanic, recriminatory and reminiscent of Tennessee Williams.
As Jasmine copes with having nothing and no-one she tries to rebuild her life, but she further alienates others with her arrogance and delusions. The excellent Michael Stuhlbarg as Dr Flicker and Peter Sarsgaard as Dwight are two possible solutions to Jasmine’s problems as she attempts to reinvent herself. As usual the ensemble cast is excellent and there is another marvellous musical score- a hallmark of all Allen films.
Photographs courtesy of Warner Bros