Film: Blue Jasmine

Director: Woody Allen
Genre: Drama
Source: USA (2013)
Rating: PG-13
Location/Format: Island Cinema
Grade: B+

There was a time when I used to watch all the movie trailers I could get my eyes on. It brought the film world closer, building anticipation for what was to come, feeding my film-going mania. And then a few years ago something changed, and I didn't want to watch previews anymore. I wanted to hear film discussion (I heart you, Filmspotting) but I mostly wanted to hear it about movies I had already seen. I liked going in to a film open to anything, ready to be surprised.

So when a film comes along that I'm in for already--my only-a-few-years-old appreciation for Woody Allen assuring I'd be at Blue Jasmine--I was ready to buy a ticket even before the buzz began. But here's the problem with buzz. In the film, Cate Blanchett turns in an excellent performance--an Academy-Award-worthy performance for sure--and early word puts the Oscar odds in her favor for this role. But I was so conscious of the fervor surrounding Blanchett that I had a hard time getting lost in Jasmine. "This is a great performance," I kept thinking. "It really is as good as people say." And so I found myself watching an actress perform rather than getting lost in a character.

It's a testament to the film and to Blanchett that the film pretty much works anyway. Tennessee Williams by way of Woody Allen, the film deals with the fallen-from-grace Jasmine as she moves across the country and into her adopted sister's apartment after her life falls apart. Though Blanchett carries the film, it's thanks to a strong supporting cast (including unexpected turns from Andrew Dice Clay and Louis CK) that the film truly comes together. Sally Hawkins is delightful as the always-game sister, and Bobby Cannavale is the kinder, gentler Stanley Kowalski that Williams never wanted. Even as Blanchett spirals out of control, Cannavale and Hawkins give the film a soft and tender heart.

It's not Allen's best work, but it's a solid piece of filmmaking that at least hits Midnight in Paris levels if not Manhattan or Annie Hall levels. And though much darker and less funny than I expected, the film wraps it's tendrils into your brain, making you by turns loathe, laugh at, and pity Jasmine. It's a pretty compelling combination.

That Cate Blanchett. She really is something.

Alternate Film Title: A Streetcar Named Xanax