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Blue Jasmine (1 Viewer)

Michael Elliott

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If there was every a director, a writer, a role and an actress that were born to be together then you're going to find it here in Woody Allen's latest. I'll admit that I'm a major fan of the director and that I loved MIDNIGHT IN PARIS and really thought TO ROME WITH LOVE deserved more attention. With that said, this film here is better than the two of them put together and I'd probably argue that this is Allen's best since MANHATTAN.

If Cate Blanchett doesn't walk away with the Best Actress Oscar it's pretty exciting because it means there must be one hell of a performance coming up later in the year. She's certainly terrific here and it's rather amazing to see how well she can play various emotions because Jasmine is without question one of the greatest female roles that Allen has ever written and she's probably also the most troubled. Watching Blanchett walk through this person's various mental problems was something truly spectacular to watch. The supporting performers also deserve some Oscar buzz including Sally Hawkins as the "loser" sister, Bobby Cannavale as her boyfriend and Andrew Dice Clay is terrific as a character that I won't ruin. The heart and emotion he brings this character is really something I wasn't expecting but Allen perfectly uses him.

This here is basically Allen's version of A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE with the sister coming to live with the other and everything falling apart. This is one of Allen's best films and I loved the roller coaster ride feeling that he gives it. I guess you could say that life is full of ups and downs and they're perfectly brought to the screen here. The screenplay, direction and performances are certainly some of the best that you're going to see this year so hopefully more people will track this down when it comes near you.
 

Freddie Z

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Freddie Zaragoza
A funny but ultimately sad movie. I loved it. Yes, Cate Blanchett deserves at least an Oscar nomination.
 

Aaron Silverman

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I'm very psyched for this. It's interesting how Allen continues to churn out so many movies, all of which are at least watchable. (To ROME with Love was just OK IMO but I loved Midnight in Paris.)
 

Patrick Sun

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I found "Blue Jasmine" a little hard to watch, intentionally so, as it's never easy to watch self-destructive people (Jasmine) undermine their future with delusions of their own self-worth at odds with the inability to deal with their present circumstances undercut by such self-destructive decisions in response to being tossed aside for a shinier toy. That is the character study Woody Allen has crafted in Jasmine (a solid performance by Cate Blanchett).

It's heartbreaking to see the dichotomy of Jasmine having to move in with her sister Ginger on the west coast because Jasmine has no where to turn to, even though she was never the best big sister to Ginger when Jasmine was the socialite du jour in New York while being married to Hal (Alec Baldwin) until their finance come under scrutiny and Hal's philandering ways, and compare it with Ginger's own past and present and how she has to come to grips with settling after certain truths are uncovered.

Jasmine herself isn't someone you want to root for, so ultimately, you take away from her story what you will, and leave the rest behind. It's solid writing by Woody Allen, but not as easily digestible as some of his lighter, but more entertaining films of recent past, like "Midnight in Paris" or even "Vicky Cristina Barcelona".

I give it 3 stars, or a grade of B.
 

Dick

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I guess, on a base relative to his other recent films, BLUE JASMINE is doing all right at the box office, although that has never been Allen's prime motivator for making movies. I hope he doesn't get hung up on facts such as the enormous B.O. of another current film: SMURFS 2.
 

Blushots1

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Jul 27, 2013
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Ryan
I really enjoyed this.The Streetcar similarities are there but not unwelcome.Cate Blanchett is utterly amazing, the scenes when she really 'on the edge' are fantastic and I love the way she sweats so much as it only emphasises that her feelings and paranoia are extreme.Only downside for me is Peter Sarsgaard, I always find him a bit slimy.
 

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