Blue Jasmine

Overview

Cate Blanchett is exceptional as the protagonist of Woody Allen's latest film Blue Jasmine.  She plays Jasmine (aka Jeanine), the classic centrepiece of a rags-to-riches story gone terribly wrong. Her knight in shining armour Hal (Alec Baldwin) is a smooth-talking businessman. We learn through flashbacks that they fell in love while she was still at college. Almost everyone knows he pushes the limits of the law in much the same way as he pushes the boundaries of fidelity but Jasmine is so caught up in the fairytale of being a woman of high-society that she appears blind to his dodgy dealings.

When it all inevitably falls apart Jasmine seeks refuge at her adopted sister Ginger's house (Sally Hawkins). She arrives in a semi-coherent state, still in shock about how her life has fallen apart. Her mental state is not helped by the copius amounts of Xanax and vodka she's knocking back. The two sisters have never been close. Jasmine is accustomed to a certain lifestyle and always looks effortlessly polished. Ginger lives in a ramshackle of a house which doesn't have the latest anything. Jasmine looks at Ginger's relationship with mechanic Chili (Bobby Cannavale) with utter disdain and convinces Ginger, albiet briefly, that she could do better. After all, using men to improve your lot in life has worked for Jasmine.

Meanwhile Jasmine is desperate to get back her priviledged position and comes up with a ridiculous idea which involves completing an online training course despite not knowing how to use a computer. Meanwhile she takes a job as a receptionist, a position she considers beneath her. When a handsome well-to-do stranger comes along she doesn't think twice about embellishing the details of her past in order to snag him. Of course the trouble with hiding the truth is that it usually comes back to bite you.

It's not hard to warm to Ginger and Chili, and even Ginger's ex-husband Augie (Andrew Dice-Clay) has a likeable quality, but I think these characters could've been fleshed out a bit more. It's very simplistic to suggest, as Allen does here, that because they are poor that they are humble and good people. It smacks of a writer-director who harks back to a more naive era of scriptwriting.

The really curious thing is I also liked Jasmine and that's due in large part to the compassionate way Blanchett plays her. Yes, she's incredibly conceited and judgemental but she's more foolish than a bad person and it's hard not to feel for someone in such a fragile state of mind. It seems right here that her struggle with mental health is not trivialised by being neatly sewn up into a Hollywood ending.

Blue Jasmine isn't an easy watch but its excellent cast and pacy storyline certainly make sure its a compelling one. Speculation is already rife that Cate Blanchett will win an Oscar for her efforts. If it were up to me, she'd definitely be in the running.