As the mainstream reviews say, this is a long-awaited return to form by Woody Allen - a serious, sombre drama centred on the character flaws of Jasmine. I don't want to write a spoiler (even though approximately no-one reads these reviews), and it's difficult to write much about this without giving away the progressive of the narrative. Not that it's a plot driven film, but Jasmine's personality and history is at least partially revealed in stages, and knowing what these were going to be would spoil the film.
Suffice it to say, then, that this is a pretty much perfect film in dialogue, appearance and narration. It is about the nastiness of the rich and powerful, and the ways in they screw over the lives of those that they touch. Cate Blanchett is great as the spoiled, selfish, self-deluding Jasmine. The film manages to convey the pathos of a fall from a great height, and to engage us emotionally with it, without evoking a shred of sympathy - pretty impressive, I'd say.
2 comments:
Sally Hawkins is wonderful in it too. As for a 'return to form' I'd suggest that Midnight in Paris was one of those too, but a very different form from this one.
We saw it on Saturday. I'm not convinced it was about the rich and powerful so much as the self deluded - and the partially self-deluded. I agree it is a very good film. So carefully and coherently put together. Ultimately it's a sad film.
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