Posted on 09/07/2013 9:07:11 PM PDT by qwertyz
There’s a lot eating Cate Blanchett in “Blue Jasmine,” a brilliant social satire about morals, social class and a socialite coming spectacularly undone in our ethics-challenged times, and she should already start clearing space on her mantle for all the golden statuettes that are going to be coming to her.
The latest cinematic effort from writer/director Woody Allen is the perfect antidote from the usual superhero spectacles and it's a stand up and cheer return to form for a celebrated director that has fallen on hard times himself.
(Excerpt) Read more at richmond.com ...
A lot of critics like it; a lot don't. They all see references to "A Street Car Named Desire." Others ding it for being too cruel or not being realistic. Okay, but this movie must be appreciated as moral poetry, otherwise it won't be fully appreciated. The key is the peacock tapestry on the apartment wall. Allen pans across this tapestry three times in the course of the movie. This iconic homage to Bergman's medieval iconography points the viewer to the theme: how easily the illusions of pride transform themselves into delusion.
Cate Blanchett's portrayal of this descent is strikingly upsetting. It throws a moral monkey wrench into defining the self in terms of material or political status rather than divine.
"Honest to God masterpiece" is right. After decades wandering in the wilderness, Allen is finally tossing the idols of Egypt and coming home.
Does it ever touch on the ‘morality’ of marrying your own stepdaughter?
Just wondering?
Cate Blanchett is amazing. It’s really a one-woman show with a Greek chorus providing Blanchett’s Jasmine something to work against. It’s a comi-tragic masterpiece.
I was thinking of going to see Riddick. I liked Pitch Black and Chronicles. So why not.
The only way this film gets those awards is if it attacks morals.
I’ve enjoyed many of Woody Allen’s movies, especially the comedy.
I’ve also been amazed at the depth of understanding of the dark side of human nature in such films as “Crimes and Misdemeanors”.
But, what frustrates me about Allen is that he often asks all the right questions about the meaning of life, of moral sin and humanity’s need for some kind of salvation. He steps right to the brink of belief in God, but then always steps away.
He’s masterful at being able to bring humor to these issues, such as in “Hannah and Her Sisters”, where his character can’t decide whether or not God exists. He accurately understands that without God, there is no real meaning to purpose or morality to life. His character decides to “try out” several different religious paths from Hare Krishna’s to Christianity. This searching by his character is somewhat disingenuous because with Christianity, his character only superficially examines it and never really looks at the person and claims of Christ.
Anyway, his character becomes disillusioned with all religion and decides there is no meaning to life and is going to kill himself - he tries shooting himself, but misses.
After that he just wonders around in his disillusionment until one day he walks into a movie theater playing a Marx brothers film. He starts to laugh at their ridiculous antics and then decides, well, even if there is no purpose or meaning to life, you can still enjoy it. That’s it.
So, while Woody’s sense of humor and insight into human nature are indeed masterful, he always disappoints me when he brings real truth to the fore, but then backs away from the obvious answer to the spiritual malaise. He appears to just not want to accept that answer. Possibly it’s too simple an answer to him, or he just wants to continue in his unbelief.
You do know he and Farrow never married, right?
She was never his stepdaughter.
Best Woody Allen moment was bringing in Howard Cosell to do the play-by-play for a military takeover in “Bananas.”
It’s hard to forget Cate Blanchett in that movie, she portrayed that character even down to communicating with her posture and eyes the torment she was going through, though a self centered person caught in a maelstrom circling the drain.
I CAN understand the Hollywood applause this time. Thank goodness for Woody Allen’s movies, they are the only movies out there I really enjoy.
His personal life...not so much, but why make a comment every time about his personal life. I leave that to the hereafter to look after.
Does that really change the moral complexity all that much?
He was never married to Mia Farrow so he never married his stepdaughter.
You're right.
He just raised her like his daughter until he started screwing her behind his not-exactly-wife's back.
For me, it gives his forays into moral complexities and life's big questions a sort of "I've got the wrong tour guide here" feel.
I saw it and thought it was OK but I’d never watch it again, as opposed to “Hannah and her Sisters” which I’ve seen at least a dozen times.
Yes, there’s a difference between your stepdaughter and the daughter of a woman you dated for a few years while maintaining separate apartments.
She has a father. His name is Andre Previn.
“I saw it and thought it was OK but I’d never watch it again, as opposed to “Hannah and her Sisters” which I’ve seen at least a dozen times.”
I have Hannah and her sisters and when working on a painting play it, I can’t even count how many times I’ve seen it. I think without a doubt THAT is a masterpiece. The other, no, I’d not bother to watch it again. Although it’s good writing the characters do nothing for me. I’m not drawn in.
The MUSIC in Hannah and her sisters, fabulous. So many good songs but this is my favorite and it’s the signature song of the movie. I’ve heard that song before Harry James.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb2pmh7ZYm4
I’d also put “Radio Days” and “Crimes and Misdemeanors” “ way ahead of “Blue Jasmine”.
Radio Days is another really great one. Only have seen Crimes and Misdemeanors once but it’s also better.
Manhattan is another favorite of mine, the music, the scenes of NY and I love Mariel Hemmingway in it. Totally love the way at the end when he loses her the music played is They’re writing songs of love, but not for me, kind of a musical joke;) The arrangement of that song is the most beautiful I’ve ever heard.
Who is the morally stainless filmmaker exploring these topics?
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