Woody Allen's movies have never appealed to me,
as they have always come across as a tiny bit artsy and often with a very vague
plot. But in Blue Jasmine draws one’s attention and probably the focus
here is Blanchett, whose performance takes
a vague and mindless character and makes her surprisingly, um ... , sadly riveting.
Director: Woody Allen
Film Clip
Darkly funny, often
in a self-deprecating way, Jasmine resembles one of those '50s wives who are
dumped and then find themselves with no skills to survive, not even being able
to live in the manner they'd grown accustomed. Strangely the film held off most
of my family at arm's length, but for me it is Blanchett that makes this
depressingly sad movie enjoyable. Her spaced out character should make you want
to hate her, but by the end, you can't help but feel sorry for her and feel she
is slightly misunderstood as well.
The mental
instability of the character is brilliantly portrayed by the exceptionally
talented Blanchett, however some viewers felt very unsatisfied and angry about
the ending. But personally, it's good that the movie didn't end with a typical
happy Hollywood spin. The film sets you thinking about how many women there are
out there totally lost with no skills to survive like Blanchett; how important
it is for a woman to be educated, with more skills than just looking pretty and
dressing in branded clothes!
A friend on Facebook
seemed to feel she could hear the distant clang of A Streetcar Named Desire --- not a rip off from the earlier film,
but a sort of respectful tribute.
- Marianne Furtado de Nazareth
