[Review] Blue Jasmine After seeing several lists that contained the movie, Blue Jasmine, as part of their top 2013 best movies, I was excited to have a chance to finally see it. I didn't know much about it, but had only heard that Cate Blanchett was amazing. This was something I would agree to - I thought she was fantastic playing a character who was one of the most shallow, annoying, and truly boring characters I've seen in recent film. My relationship with Woody Allen movies has been, in the past, one of love, but I sometimes feel he misses the mark; however, like many writer/directors who are admired by a community, he sometimes is lauded simply for putting words on a page. I mean, there's no doubt he's been a great writer and moviemaker in his 47 year career. His catalog is big enough that he can have hits and misses, but I'm not sure why the critics are raving over Blue Jasmine, which is an utterly depressing movie with no message other than being rich, then poor, equals a form of mental illness. Cate Blanchett plays Jasmine, a (former) New York socialite who is "recovering" from losing her wealth and stature after her husband, played by Alec Baldwin, is put away for securities fraud. She is forced to move in with her sister (they both adopted, but shared parents), and face living like a normal person with a job. Her modus operandi is to use those around her for her own selfish purposes it would seem, damn the consequences. We have multiple flashbacks and get the juxtaposition of her previous life as a socialite and her current life, as well as the life of her sister. We also learn that her husband, Hal (Alec Baldwin playing a nearly identical character from 30 Rock, but without any redeeming qualities), was a philanderer, a bully, and all around asshole. Read the Rest #Movies, #Reviews | #Alec_Baldwin, #Andrew_Dice_Clay, #Blue_Jasmine, #Cate_Blanchett, #Jasmine, #Peter_Sarsgaard, #San_Francisco, #Woody_Allen
