Blue Jasmine is a Woody Allen film. Be prepared for the neuroses. It’s the story of a woman who falls from wealthy socialite to struggling sister sleeping on the sofa. Why? Simple premise; Husband is a financial advisor… makes some illegal deals… FBI seizes all of their assets… He goes to jail and ultimately commits suicide. Heard/seen it before – now factor in Woody Allen’s interpretation…

Story: I’ve always been a Woody Allen fan – I know his formula and tolerate it. This is no exception. He writes his characters, then directs them to display as much neuroses as possible. I don’t see anything really poignant or unique about this version; In fact, I think the central character is somewhat unlikeable. I find it hard to feel sorry for her because she is such a snob.

It has moments when you think a nice story may develop, but, it’s just that… a moment. In the end, nothing positive comes out of this story…

Performances: There are only two central characters – Jasmine, acted by Cate Blanchett and her sister Ginger, acted by Sally Hawkins. Both put out good performances, but, nothing to discuss with any passion… Nothing fit for debate. I already know they’ve both been nominated for Oscars and I don’t agree. I fear the field is thin this year…

Alec Baldwin plays Jasmine’s husband and Peter Sarsgaard plays her love interest. Andrew Dice Clay plays Ginger’s ex-husband and Bobby Cannavale and Louis C.K. play her love interests. Nothing good comes out of any of these relationships and only Bobby Cannavale’s character has any grit. No Oscars here either…

Visual: Woody Allen does a really good job of planning the backdrops for his shoots. The Hampton’s look great; Park Avenue looks great; San Francisco looks great. Cate Blanchett’s costumes look like she’s a New York Socialite, regardless of the fact that she has no money and has been transplanted into California. I do like the way this film looks.

Rating: I’m giving this Woody Allen creation a C+. I’ve seen better from WA. One of my favorite movies of all time is a WA film – Midnight in Paris. But, his last few films have been below the mark for sure. This is the Woody Allen way… you win some, you lose some. He lost this one for me. The awards and nominations… ???

If he’s going for making you not like Jasmine, he nails it. If he’s going for telling a story that leaves you wanting more substance, he nailed it. I’m glad I saw it, but, I’ll say this again: If you’re not a Woody Allen fan, this is not the film to watch. Skip it. If you are, get it on DVD and use it for comparison purposes…