BLUE JASMINE

Blue Jasmine is a film that I had only heard good things about. Not only were the critics raving but even the usual internet trolls appeared to have put away their claws for this one as a whisper of 'Oscars' seemed to encase it. I'm an advocate for 'slice of life' movies and for me, films don't have to have a 'point' in order to entertain me - a snippet or an insight into a person or a family's life is usually a sure win, so although when I watched the trailer I didn't really 'get' what it was going to be about, I was still excited for it.

However, this isn't just a 'slice of life' - director Woody Allen has a point that he is trying to make and that is one thing: The rich are corrupt and lonely and losers, it is the seeming underdogs who are really winning at life. A very poignant and heartfelt message, sure, but an hour and a half of Cate Blanchett trying to sound like Samantha Jones as she teeters on the edge of a mental breakdown was not what I needed to see in order to learn this.

Jasmine (Blanchett)  is a New York City socialite. Troubled and in denial following her divorce from elite business man Hal (Alec Baldwin) she moves in with her dippy, free-spirit sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins) in San Francisco and tries to rebuild her life.

The performances are strong, the pace is slow, the story of her marriage unravels in a series of samey flashbacks that became uninteresting and predictable before long. Cate Blanchett gives an undeniably powerful performance, but in doing so she creates a character so intense that she becomes borderline nauseating and you can practically hear Blanchett's mind screaming 'Oscar' as she overacts her way through the film as a character reminiscent of neurotic, drama queen Vanessa Gold in BBC soap opera EastEnders.

Whilst the majority of the supporting cast were good, I took a particular liking to Ginger, some characters were so stereotypical and simple they became parodies of themselves which had the audience laughing at times where I don't think Woody Allen intended them to be.

I'm always a fan of an open ended film and this may have been one of the best moments for me, however it isn't as poignant or powerful as I was lead to believe it would be by critics and viewers alike. In fact, it was pretty plain. For an hour and a half long film, it really dragged and in all honesty perhaps one of the reasons I welcomed an open ending was because if it were more conclusive I would have had to sit through longer.

Blue Jasmine is an average film, the characters lacked depth which made it difficult for the audience to connect with in any way, and although films don't have to have a point, this one really was in the same place at the end as it was when it started out. I found myself becoming impatient and bored and Blanchett's performance became more and more over-the-top and irritating as time went on. The narrative is pretentious and similarly to Silver Linings Playbook (a film that I truly detest), it's concept makes people think that it is much more poignant and exciting and interesting and entertaining and revolutionary than it is. Almost like a taboo where any film that toys with the idea of mental health gets immediate critical acclaim despite the quality of the story, and this is a habit that I hope is quashed sooner rather than later.

All in all, Blue Jasmine was vaguely enjoyable to begin with but lacked excitement and, to be honest, entertainment. For these reasons it gets ★★☆☆☆

Blue Jasmine is in cinemas nationwide from 27th September!

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Love,