Blue Jasmine

Blue Jasmine (2013) starring Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Sally Hawkins, Bobby Cannavale, Louis C.K., Andrew Dice Clay, Peter Sarsgaard. Written and directed by Woody Allen. Blanchett is devastatingly good in the title role as a Blanche DuBois type of character whose world is crumbling around her. The script and direction by Allen is pretty near flawless, and he paints a picture of a woman (Blanchett) who, through careless and greedy living, has brought about her own downfall. This is definitely not a comedy, which we've come to expect from Allen, but a heart-breaking drama. Blanchett's character calls herself Jasmine, and she arrives from New York to San Francisco, where she hopes to start over again, beginning with moving in with her adopted sister, Ginger (Hawkins). The problems that brought Jasmine to this pass soon crop up again, however, and she seems to end up homeless. This is a movie which would reward multiple viewings, and I recommend it highly. (The subtitles for the hearing-impaired are highly legible.) Grade: A