'Blue Jasmine' A Review

Blue Jasmine is the latest Woody Allen film. The film follows Jeanette aka Jasmine as she soars from the height of the super rich to the depths of living with her working class sister. Cate Blanchette plays Jasmine the Woody Allen character in this yearly incarnation of the same story Woody Allen spews forth each year. Jasmine is amoral, self centered, obtuse, and has absolutely no ability for self realization or growth. I have no idea why there is a movie about this character or why this movie exists. The film may be a comment on the super rich but a comment is never made. It's unclear if we are suppose to sympathize or despise Jasmine. It would seem we are suppose to identify with Jasmine's working class sister who shelters her during her fall from grace but she along with all the working class characters are written so stereotypical, thin, and vapid we are unable to.

The plot of the movie goes no where and says nothing. The dialogue in the film is wooden, robotic, and unbelievable. The acting is at most times vacant and confused with occasional moments of clarity solely because of the talent of the star studded cast. Alec Baldwin, Andrew Dice Clay, Louise CK, Peter Sarsgaard and Bobby Cannavale struggle to bring their two dimensional characters off the page. Blanchette puts in a performance so grating its unpleasant to watch, Jasmine is not a person she's a rich lady demon and Blanchette screams and cries and yells and chews the scenery in each unbearable scene. The only bright spot is Sally Hawkins as Ginger, Jasmine's sister, portraying what seems to be the only real person in the film.

Allen at 77 seems to have lost a lot. Maybe he should try revising his scripts and giving his actors direction as opposed to making sure to get one movie out a year. It's clear Allen is past his prime and needs to put a little more work into the quality of his films as opposed to keeping up his quantity.

Worst movie of the year.

Don't See It.