| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| randall |
Posted - 08/25/2013 : 19:15:04
Stronger screenplay than my previous favorite Woodman, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS. [My all-time favorite: ANNIE HALL.] In fact, so strong that if you didn't hear the opening clarinet solo and see those familiar white-on-black titles, you might not be able to guess the director until the arguments start happening about 2/3 through.
Cate Blanchett has a career role, like everybody's told you, and will definitely be Oscar-nommed, if not win the dadburn thing outright [we can't be sure b/c we haven't yet seen her competition]. What is revelatory right now is the work by her immediate support: Sally Hawkins, Alec Baldwin, Peter Sarsgaard, Bobby Cannavale, and especially Andrew Dice Clay. During the first Hawkins/Clay scene, if I hadn't already known who they were, I would have had trouble even IDing the *actors*! Then bursts out the Hawkins million-dollar smile and the louche, hulking Clay [although he will fool you this time; BRILLIANT casting!].
I hear there is a rap against this flick for hostility towards women. Jasmine [Cate] in particular is indeed a victim at the opening [the pictures darts backward in time frequently], and so *seems* the Hawkins character at first glance. But you are gradually made to realize that Jasmine was in fact complicit [in fact, you are made to realize, even worse than that!], and that Hawkins is actually no such victim at all.
Woody Allen keeps stretching, and achieving. |
| 3 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| ChocolateLady |
Posted - 10/23/2013 : 20:19:53
Maybe it was just me (and my personal prejudices against some of Blanchett's previous work) but I felt at times she acted a touch too normal, as if the crazy wasn't really there. But there were a few scenes that were brilliant. For instance, when she meets Dwight - that whole conversation you could see her brain working on how she was going to hide the truth from him. And every time she zones out or mumbles to her invisible demons through Zanex induced cotton-mouth, well... marvelous.
What's more, I was glad to see Woody transferred his own neurosis from the being part of the male character to being part of his female character. In that way, he steps outside of his own box and we see a different side of it - a more sophisticated one - which looks and sounds different from Woody. What I mean by that is, in Midnight, Owen Wilson is SO much playing Woody that we almost think he's lip syncing the part.
And like Randall says, the supporting cast is a joy to behold. Well, except for Baldwin - who was Baldwin, and didn't show anything special here, I'm afraid, but he doesn't detract at all. Sally Hawkins and Bobby Cannavale worked beautifully together and and their relationship rang absolutely true.
Bafta is right. There is a deeper, more complex emotional story here than Streetcar, although they both touch on the culprit vs victim, enabler vs inhibitor aspects. That's because he shows both sides of these coins in almost all of the characters.
Fascinating.
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| BaftaBaby |
Posted - 09/29/2013 : 23:34:30
Quite remarkable how the cast totally overwhelms everything else about the film - especially Blanchett whose naked truth and pain suffuse all like some demented Rorschach test.
Not saying the other elements aren't terrific enough for you not to be aware of them. Just that the acting is so good.
I've got my own quibbles with critics who do the easy-peasy comparison with Streetcar - I think Woody's telling a more emotionally complex story. Not to diss Tennessee ... as if! It's just that in Blue Jasmine, Woody digs deeper.
Some of it's even funny!
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| lemmycaution |
Posted - 08/25/2013 : 20:56:14
Loved that coincidental meeting outside the jewelry store.
Blanchett was mesmerising. |
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