I have seen the best film so far of 2013 and that film is "Blue Jasmine". This is also one of Woody Allen's best which is saying a lot. No film has entertained this reviewer this much so far this year. Cate Blanchett will probably be nominated and possibly win best actress for a performance that is intricate, complex, funny, and captivating. She plays Jasmine, a woman we learn about through flashbacks and present day events who comes from New York to San Francisco penniless, divorced and unhappy to live with and impose upon her sister, Ginger (Sally Hawkins). The flashbacks tell a troubled tale in which she goes from a happy, rich, and fulfilled young woman married to Hal (Alec Baldwin) to a poor, destitute, now older woman who's husband is now dead from suicide after a Ponzi-scheme that was foiled. The present day portions of the film tells how Jasmine is adjusting to her new life in menial work and a desire to better herself.
The film is often funny in the vein of typical Woody Allen films but it is more dramatic than anything. Jasmine is such a complex, troubled and eccentric character that it is impossible not to love her. Cate Blanchett hits the nail on the head with a gutsy, bravado performance but all the other actors in this film are performing at the top of their game as well. I especially liked Bobby Cannavale and Andrew Dice Clay as Ginger's former and current boyfriends. This is the best Woody Allen film in years and deserves awards when the time comes.
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