Though the review is grossly delayed yet I couldn’t help but type it down after I have seen ‘Blue Jasmine’ at least over 8 times in the last two-three months. I am going to be honest here and admit that I hadn’t seen any of Cate Blanchett’s movie prior to watching Blue Jasmine and now I regret not doing it for she is incredible in a way that can’t be described in words.

Blue Jasmine is an Oscar nominated movie written and directed by the celebrated artist Woody Allen who is a legend in himself. The movie stars Cate Blanchett as Jasmine, Sally Hawkins as Ginger and Alec Baldwin as Hal Francis in lead roles. I am a bit petrified writing this review because I am not sure if I will be able to do justice to the magnificence of the magic brought alive to us on screen by Woody Allen and Cate Blanchett.

Jasmine and Ginger are sisters, though not from same set of parents but adopted by another. Both are absolutely different personalities right from how they speak, how they dress up and how they go about life. Jasmine is married to Hal Francis and they are a part of the elite business and social class in New York and they are ‘living it up’. Hal is a successful entrepreneur or so it seems and life’s pretty awesome for him and more so for Jasmine who enjoys penthouses, beach side villas, Louis Vuitton and the likes. Her world comes crashing down much faster than the Titanic sank when she learns that Hal is having an affair with not one but several ‘brunettes’. By now we know Jasmine way to well that we aren’t amused or shocked when she dials FBI and Hal goes boom.

Blue Jasmine is a masterpiece in more ways than one. The movie keeps going back to flashback prior to the sad ending to Jasmine-Hal’s love tale and money tale, and to the present where Jasmine has moved in with her sister, Ginger, in San Francisco. The way this story has been showcased deserves kudos because we aren’t left to get confused about why the movie went back in time. The direction is simply impeccable which is what Woody Allen is all about. What absolutely deserves a standing ovation is Blanchett’s incredible, wondrous and enchanting portrayal of Jasmine, a character who is so complex that an actor of Blanchett’s talent could have only done justice. Such is Blanchett’s splendid performance that audience empathizes with her every time she is short of breath or is talking to herself while on a plane or on a street.

Sally Hawkins is remarkable as Ginger who is troubled but doesn’t show it and who is complex just like her sister but has so many layers to herself that we are impressed with Ginger’s take to things. Alec Baldwin is absolutely believable as a crook who gets his way around people including his wife, his wife’s sister and her fiancée un till life’s over for him. Andrew Dice Clay, Peter Sarsgaard and Bobby Cannavale fit their roles and have certainly added value to the story of Jasmine.

The makers of this film have placed a lot of emphasis on the wardrobe and the accessory of the characters. For instance, the brown bag that Jasmine carries throughout the film becomes so much a part of her personality.

Blue Jasmine is a perfect display of adult tantrums which are part of all our daily lives, sometimes we notice it or sometimes we just go by ignoring it but they become a part of who we are.

After watching Blue Jasmine, it really doesn’t come as a surprise that it was nominated under several categories for Oscar. Woody Allen was nominated for Best Writing and Original Screenplay, Sally Hawkins was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role and Cate Blanchett won the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role. Cate subsequently also won Golden Globe and BAFTA Film Award under the same category, Sally was also nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role at both these award functions followed by Woody Allen nominated for Best Original Screenplay at BAFTA.

My recommendation – go watch Blue Jasmine to witness a tale of relationships, the depth of human behavior, the repercussions of rage, and the insecurities that reside consistently within us and the humor that life is. I give 4.5 on 5 teaspoon of masala to this (reserving 5, really don’t know why, the movie is splendid to say the least).

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