top of page
Writer's pictureJames Rutherford

'Blue Jasmine': A Vibrant Comedy/Drama about a New York Socialite Fallen on Hard Times


Movie poster for the film Blue Jasmine starring Cate Blanchett, Sally Hawkins and Alec Baldwin

”Blue Jasmine” (2013) is a vibrant human comedy-drama starring Cate Blanchett as Jasmine Francis, a wealthy New York socialite whose marriage to unscrupulous businessman Hal Francis (Alec Baldwin) collapses, and she’s forced to move across country to live with her sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins) in San Francisco.


Having suffered a nervous breakdown after the dissolution of her marriage, Jasmine takes refuge in her sister's humble home despite the fact that Hal’s deviousness lead to Ginger’s own divorce from Augie (Andrew Dice Clay). Jasmine remains woefully despondent and self-possessed, desperate to regain the wealth and status she desperately covets—ultimately finding some degree of hope in the form of a wealthy widower named Dwight (Peter Sarsgaard).


Written and directed by Woody Allen (“Annie Hall”, “Crimes and Misdemeanors”), ”Blue Jasmine” is a lively and touchingly true-to-life story, given an enormous boost by Blanchett’s remarkable, Academy Award-winning performance as the woebegone Jasmine. In typical Allen fashion, the film eschews tidy storytelling and genericized narrative for something far more dynamic, honest and profoundly amusing. In all, it’s one of the best films of his lengthy career, and a real treat for fans of his distinctive brand of offbeat humor.

 

View the trailer:


Comments


bottom of page