Woody Allen is one of America’s finest film makers. I can’t even begin to list all of his masterpieces and near-masterpieces…from his most well-known like “Annie Hall” to lesser known classics like “Broadway Danny Rose” and “The Purple Rose Of Cairo”…
That said, the past twenty years have seen as many disappointing films as great ones…uninspired films such as “Celebrity”, “Manhattan Murder Mystery” and last year’s “To Rome With Love”…but now, he has turned out one of his best films ever, “Blue Jasmine”.
First, a brief overview of a career that has been full of many memorable twists and a few unfortunate turns…
“The Early, Funny Stuff”
Beginning with “Take The Money And Run”, “Bananas” and “Sleeper”, Woody Allen has turned out some of the funniest comedies ever made.
He matured with the Oscar-winning Best Picture “Annie Hall”, and continued to develop as a serious film maker with “Manhattan”, and then turned serious with “Interiors”.
The failure of audiences to embrace his serious side resulted in his “poisoned love letter” to fans, “Stardust Memories.” It was, perhaps, the first signal that he had some level of disdain for us, the moviegoer…
“Light As Air” Comedies…
The 80′s were an era of strangely light “pop songs as movies” like “A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy” and “Broadway Danny Rose.” They were funny, charming and completely disposable.
The film world was shock when he betrayed his longtime girlfriend Mia Farrow by starting an affair with her daughter. This period of his life inspired a biography called “The Unruly Life Of Woody Allen”, which takes a very disturbing look at his personal life…
From that point on, his movies have been like an out of control driver on a mountain road: masterpieces like “Match Point”, moderately successful films like “Everyone Says I Love You”, debacles such as “Scoop” and the DREADFUL “Hollywood Ending.”
Lifelong fans like myself were left to wonder how much his private life was driving his art…the female characters in his movies, such as the brilliant Diane Keaton in “Annie Hall” became shrill, unpleasant characters in later films…
Throughout the last two decades, he has gone from great movies such as “Bullets Over Broadway” to disappointing films like “Celebrity.” The best films have strong female characters; the worst ones treat women poorly, and the films suffer as a result.
Introducing “Jasmine”!
And now, Woody Allen has created “Jasmine”, one of his strongest female characters ever – a woman with flaws, fears and an inability to stop talking about every aspect of her life to anyone who happens to be around – and Cate Blanchett gives her best performance ever in the role.
“Blue Jasmine!”
I don’t want to discuss the plot much, as I think a film is better when it unfolds fresh. There is only a bit you need to know about the plot: a woman named Jasmine is looking to put her life back together, and re-connect with her sister at the same time.
Here is the official trailer:
Cate Blanchett gives an amazing performance. If you saw her in “The Talented Mr. Ripley”, imagine that young, tentative ingenue now all grown up, but still full of doubt and insecurity…
Kudos To Andrew Dice Clay!
Andrew Dice Clay is the biggest surprise here – he brings a surprisingly understated anger to his role – a nuanced performance that keeps his rage just beneath the surface, but you can really feel it’s there…
Bobbby Carnavale, on the other hand, shows an explosive “blue collar” rage rarely seen in a Woody Allen film. It is that “real world” energy and anger that shatters the placid, upscale world Jasmine is used to living in with husband Alec Baldwin…
Alec Baldwin and Sally Hawkins are both perfect as well…Hawkins is especially impressive as the sister who doesn’t measure up to Jasmine in any way…for Hawkins, it’s the type of showy role that will gain her accolades and the attention she deserves…
It is Sally Hawkins’ amazing performance that counter balances Cate Blanchett so well…a raw and brave performance that is one of the film’s highlights…
Louis CK co-stars as someone who pursues Hawkins, and it’s a subtle, understated and honest look at relationships. I wasn’t as big a fan of “Midnight In Paris” as others, because of Allen’s penchant for making women shrews – which is how I felt Rachel McAdams was directed in that film. Here, the women are fully realized characters.
I heard Louis CK on Howard Stern explaining how he botched his audition for the Andrew Dice Clay role, and was grateful to have the chance to play another part. Well, he nails it, too. But when you see Dice Clay, you can’t imagine anyone else pulling that part off…and the same can be said for Bobby Carnavale…
Oscar Is Calling!
This will be, without a doubt, one of Allen’s most acclaimed films. It will be nominated for Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and potentially TWO Best Supporting Actor nominations, for both Dice Clay and Carnivale.
“Blue Jasmine” is, without a doubt, the best film so far in 2013, and one of Woody’s best movies…
Leave a comment and let me know what you think!
