Blue Jasmine

When Woody Allen calls, they all come. Although he always works with a manageable budget and doesn't deliver any big blockbusters, it is simply an honour for many actors to be allowed to act under the direction of the urban neurotic. And so it's no wonder that the cast list of his latest film Blue Jasmine is once again impressive. But as much as this is once again an ensemble piece, the drama is primarily carried by a superb Cate Blanchett.

Who plays former high-society lady Jasmine (Cate Blanchett), whose once-luxurious life is in ruins after her husband Hal (Alec Baldwin) is sent to prison for illegal financial dealings and their marriage falls apart. The emotional shock, all the alcohol and numerous antidepressants have taken their toll on Jasmine's mind, so a complete fresh start is the last chance for her to get better. And so she moves in with her sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins) in San Francisco. While Jasmine never misses an opportunity to put herself above the simple lifestyle of her sister and her sister's boyfriend Chili (Bobby Cannavale), she finds it increasingly difficult to maintain her aristocratic facade. And while Jasmine is heading more and more towards the mental abyss, her eternal teasing seems to have an effect on Ginger. For she is suddenly convinced that Chili is indeed a loser, whereupon she begins an affair with sound engineer Al (Louis C.K.). Instead of bringing peace into her own life, Jasmine causes more and more chaos in San Francisco, which of course cannot remain without consequences.

Although he has already realized dramatic material in the past, the name Woody Allen stands primarily for comedies carried by great dialogues. So if you're expecting a rather light-hearted treat like Midnight in Paris, you'll certainly be disappointed. For Blue Jasmine is a rather depressing drama, which in some moments presses quite heavily on the audience's mind. Sure, there are also some very amusing moments in this film and wonderful wordplay, through which the dramaturgical heaviness is also pleasantly lightened here and there. But this does not make this work a comedy or even a light cinema entertainment.

But if you are prepared for emotionally rather heavy fare, you will get very intensively acted arthouse cinema of a special kind. That this works is, of course, due in no small part to Allen's superbly observed and engagingly constructed script. But first and foremost it's thanks to the acting of Cate Blanchett, who doesn't just outwardly show courage in her ugliness here. Playing such a broken, only slightly sympathetic character, who is only kept upright by the confirmation of others, also demands a lot from an actress. But Blanchett masters this task with bravura and puts in a performance that is guaranteed to be rewarded with quite a few film awards (or at least nominations).

The rest of the cast, whether Bobby Cannavale (Boardwalk Empire), the comedian/actor/director Louis C.K. or Alec Baldwin remain a little pale, even if Allen makes an effort to give a lot of space to the storyline around Ginger, played by Sally Hawkins. This is a bit of a shame, as the entire ensemble is absolutely convincing. But in view of what Cate Blanchett offers the viewer, this small shortcoming can be forgiven.

Because through her play Blue Jasmine becomes an intense psychogram of a completely broken woman who tries with all her might to show strength where there is none left. Woody Allen has proven once again with this film that he is excellent at developing interesting and profound female characters and that he can convince not only with humor but also with dramatic material. This is not necessarily what you might imagine as feel-good cinema. But it is worth seeing!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp