Film review: Blue Jasmine

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Alec Baldwin, Blue Jasmine, Cate Blanchett, entertainment, Film review Blue Jasmine, Films, movies, Peter Sarsgaard, Sally Hawkins, Woodly Allen Films, Woody Allen

Woody Allen is back, again. After Midnight in Paris and Vicky Cristina Barcelona he is returning to what he knows best: neurotic behaviour. But Blue Jasmine is far from a comedy; it is a drama portraying the breakdown of the high and mighty.

Self-named Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) has lost everything, her husband, her pent-house, her step-son and all of her money. Forced to abandon her Park Avenue home Jasmine moves in with her sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins) in San Francisco. This shabby chic apartment above a Mexican café is far from Jasmines usual standards and she can seemingly only survive with the help of a steady flow of alcohol.

Not wanting to give up, Jasmine takes a job as a receptionist and tries to better herself with an evening computer course. But she can’t let go of her past life and in flash-backs we meet her ex-husband Hal (Alec Baldwin), her high society friends and obviously questionable lifestyle.

Unable to deal with the present, Jasmine talks obsessively about her past, her wealth, her husband, her travels and property, creating an alternative reality in which she seems more at home than in the real world. Her pearls, Chanel jacket, Fendi bag and Roger Vivier shoes are all that remains of this high flying past, that she is so desperately yearns for.

Over time Jasmine unravels more and more and when her last hope, a promised engagement to diplomat Dwight (Peter Sarsgaard), evaporates because of the web of lies she spins, she becomes completely undone.

Allen is at his best in Blue Jasmine but it is arguable that this is mainly down to Blachett’s stellar performance. The only downside to her brilliant portrayal of this Park Avenue downfall is that she isn’t very likable.

Hawkins as Blachetts sister Ginger is good, but sadly nearly a caricature of what Allen deems working class Americans to be like. Baldwin is wonderful as Hal, he is a businessman with a hidden agenda, a little to squeaky clean, has affairs but still quite likeable.

Overall Blue Jasmine is a good film, a return to what we expect from Woody Allen, with a little bit more grit. However it doesn’t quite have the greatness of his early works like Annie Hall or Manhatten, even if the soundtrack is brilliant. The strong plot, fantastic actors and brilliant lead make Blue Jasmine a film to watch, not just if you are an Allen or Blanchett fan.

Film review: Lovelace

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Amanda Seyfried, Chris North, deep throat, entertainment, film review Lovelace, film reviews, Hank Azaria, Jeffrey Friedman, Linda Lovelace, Linda Lovelace’s autobiography Ordeal, Lovelace, movies, Ordeal, Peter Sarsgaard, Rob Epstein, Sharon Stone

From naïve girl to porn superstar that is the story told in Lovelace. Based on 70s porn queen Linda Lovelace’s autobiography Ordeal this film shows her version of how she came to star in the infamous porn film Deep Throat

When Linda (Amanda Seyfried) meets Chuck Traynor (Peter Sarsgaard) her life changes from strict catholic upbringing to a free sexual life. However once married to pimp Chuck what once happened behind closed doors becomes a source of much needed income.

On seeing Linda’s legendary “sword-swallowing’ trick for the first time porn producer Jerry Samiano (Hank Azaria) and movie mogul Tony Romano (Chris North) are in awe and the idea for the porn-comedy Deep Throat is conceived. Linda becomes an overnight sensation, but not only does the film attract a lot of media attention it soon brings in a lot of money, for everyone except Linda.

Then a rewind tells the story from a different point of view, namely Linda’s. Her naïve charm and sexual liberty is all just facade. Physically and mentally abused by  Chuck Linda is forced into doing unspeakable acts, a sexual puppet to please men with her husband pulling the strings at gunpoint.

Trying desperately leave her husband and the life she sees panning out ahead of her,Linda seeks help from her mother (an unrecognisable Sharon Stone) only to be told to “obey her husband”.

Lovelace lives from its two main characters. Sarsgaaard is wonderful as the macho, drugged up Traynor and gives a multi-layered performance displaying greed, rage and fear of losing his “property”. But it is Seyfrieds raw emotions that really tell the story. She is charming, vulnerable and very real.

And thankfully directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman never lose focus on the story behind the story; only revealing emotions never intimate parts by cleverly using massive wigs and cutaways. With attention to detail the gritty feeling of the 70s porn world feels true and clever story telling pulls the viewer in.

However for a movie wanting to tell the truth Lovelace neglects to take a closer look at all perspectives. With Ordeal as the foundation of the film Linda’s personal accounts are taken at face value never looking closer into her pornographic past and ignoring conflicting accounts.

But the stellar performances of both Seyried and Sarsgaard make Lovelace well worth seeing. So if you are hoping for a little hardcore you will be disappointed as the story focuses on the pain behind a public perception not on public display.