As the film opens, Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) has lost all her money and has had to move in with her blue-collar sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins) in San Francisco. Jasmine changes her name and marries as quickly as possible into
Manhattan high society, living in a gleaming, apartment in New York City, where her every
material whim is instantly provided by her fawning husband Hal (Alec
Baldwin), a financial wheeler-dealer. Ginger was left behind to fend for herself, so she
married the rough-hewn Augie (Andrew Dice Clay).
Ginger had two sons with Augie,but then they divorced. Now she's is in a relationship with Chili
(Bobby Cannavale), another blue-collar working stiff, and working in a
supermarket while raising her two boys.
It's a tough life, but not a bad one, until Jasmine's extremely needy
presence adds a considerable amount of stress and tension.
What's
marvelous about Blue Jasmine, written and directed by Woody Allen, is the maner in which the complicated ties between
Jasmine and Ginger are revealed and then explored. Ginger's personality
is delineated with wonderful touches of empathy. Andrew Dice Clay, Bobby Cannavale, Max Casella, Michael Stuhlberg, Peter
Sarsgaard, and Louis C.K. all give wonderful performances. This is an extraordinary, belittling, audacious, stupid, perceptive,
and maddening film; a rollercoaster of stirred-up emotions and acidic social
commentary. But it's one Woody Allen film you won't want to miss.
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