Review of Blue Jasmine (2013) by Irk — 15 Aug 2013

I'm a blue collar guy and if there's one thing I know, Woody Allen has never spent a moment of his life getting to know men like me. In fact, while watching "Blue Jasmine", I was struck with the feeling that almost every character in this movie was somewhat imaginary. I kept thinking, "This is not how a person from this background in this situation would respond or behave", there was always something disturbingly off kilter in nearly every scene. It felt like a play, a two dimensional play.

Cate Blanchett is a terrific actress and it's something to see as she tries to spackle her past outwardly while desperately failing to reconcile her conscious inwardly. Almost everything else is garbage. Your demographic for this movie goes like this: White, Affluent, Insular, Educated, and mostly in.

Retirement. Woody Allen knows this audience and, in my opinion, very little else. Clams in San Francisco? Dear Lord, did no one whisper into the emperor's ear that crab is what we eat here? Stupid example yes, but the entire movie has dumb moments like that. But details matter.

Call me an idiot, but I did not even know what this movie was or that Woody directed it, furthermore, I didn't pick up on the fact that this was a retelling of Streetcar. I really can't tell you how that passed me off. The writer and director of this movie is a putz. Such good actors, such a great city to set it in, such a lot of money; Such an insipid waste.