Director Woody Allen uses stereotypical characters and bygone plotlines when he brings to life a traumatized typecast in “Blue Jasmine.”
Mix in excellent casting and a sprinkle of moral dilemma and Allen gives the viewer an enjoyable, yet lacking, film.
Cate Blanchett’s portrayal of Jasmine, a torn, traumatized, and beat down socialite, is captivating. Blanchett commands attention by allowing the viewer to feel Jasmine’s stress and anxiety. The opening scene is entrancing as she rambles on about her marriage to an exasperated stranger on a flight to San Francisco — a monologue that continues from the plane to the terminal to baggage claim. As Jasmine speaks so eloquently and passionately, it’s easy to feel her exasperation and strain. The way she speaks gives the sense that more is to unfold and pulls the audience quickly into her life.
The story of Jasmine’s marriage to Hal, played by Alec Baldwin, eloquently unfolds through flashbacks. Hal is a charming businessman who develops into a flawed character on a destructive path. The end of their marriage slowly destroys Jasmine’s sanity.
As the plot unfolds, between a character’s reality and delusion, one frenzied, anxious scene follows another frenzied, anxious scene. You meet Jasmine’s lower-class opposite – her sister and temporary roommate, Ginger, played by Sally Hawkins. One sister comes to the aid of another, as the sisters’ strained relationship plays out and they struggle with two very different life paths.
Other characters fulfill various stereotypes. Augie, played Andrew Dice Clay, and Chili, played Bobby Cannavale, could have had more substantial roles and added depth to the film. Their acting was on point in some scenes but mediocre in others. Each personality turns into another supporting role that feels unnatural in scenes without Jasmine. These characters only give minor hints of the real characters they could be and are only accents to the lead’s glorified disaster.
Allen allows the exquisite acting to carry the film, but you can feel his lack of direction and development. The film does not quite quench the anticipation that builds quickly at the beginning of the movie. Allen’s script had great potential but didn’t follow through.
He could have delighted the viewers with an emotional and disheartening adventure but, instead, leaves them with questions and a character muted in grayed emotion.
