Rating of
3/4
Blanchett Breaks Down
Unknown - wrote on 08/25/13
Woody Allen's new drama proves to be a good effort, but this is really Blanchett's movie. She carries this story with a great performance that has her character Jasmine constantly teetering on the edge of a complete meltdown. Jasmine has an off putting personality. It's hard to like, or sympathize with her, even as her mental illness grows. Yet, there is still a want to see how she is going to deal with her current life situation. I thought the lack of resolution to the story worked perfectly. The way in which Allen inserts sudden jumps into Jasmine's past works seamlessly in the editing and telling of the narrative. The supporting characters are also rounded and well acted, which makes all of the relationships fleshed out and believable. The only thing holding back 'Blue Jasmine', for me, is the lack of engagement. It was entertaining, in an observant way, but I never felt any investment.
