BLUE JASMINE directed by Woody Allen (USA, 2012)
Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) hits rock bottom.
In 1980’s Stardust Memories, the autobiographical character Woody Allen played complained “I don’t feel funny. I look around the world and all I see is human suffering”.
Despite this, he has mainly continued to make comedies which, of late, have been little more than sentimental travelogues like Midnight In Paris and To Rome His Love.
In other words, he seems to have become resigned to the idea that people go to the movies to escape the stresses and suffering of the real world.
In the cinema in London where I saw Blue Jasmine the pre-publicity included a montage of clips with the tag-line “leave reality at home”. This invitation to enjoy the guilt-free two hours of pure escapism seemed a little at odds with the censor’s straight-faced warning of “mild references to sex and suicide”. Continue reading
