With Blue Jasmine (2013) writer and director Woody Allen takes a streetcar named Desire and gets off at Elysian Fields. Not movie heaven exactly, but close enough for his fans.
It’s the story of a desperate, attractive and desperately attractive woman named Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) who - facing the loss of her wealth, social status and most of her marbles - throws herself into the not exactly waiting arms of her half-sister, Ginger (Sally Hawkins) and Ginger’s lout-ish fiancée, Chili (Bobby Cannevale). Ginger is a simple, generous and forgiving soul, but - a supermarket cashier – she hasn’t a nickel to spare. Chili is violent, territorial and intensely suspicious of this woman who invades what is essentially his home and threatens to stay. Jasmine’s one, slim chance for happiness lies with the debonair diplomat, Dwight (Peter Sarsgaard) who only sees her beauty and sophistication, not the emotional baggage stretching from San Francisco to New York.
Of course, Blue Jasmine isn’t a total gloss on Streetcar. The character of Jasmine, for instance, is not sympathetic like Blanche DuBois. She is brittle - not fragile, snobbish, entitled and seems to have no interior life, much less a poetic sensibility. There is also the suggestion - in a Bernie Madoff-like subplot involving Jasmine’s husband, Hal (Alec Baldwin) – that she is much less a victim than she would appear.
Will Ginger catch her falling sister, will Chili make sure she hits bottom or will Jasmine and Dwight live happily ever after? Anyone who’s seen Tennessee William’s play and movie, A Streetcar Named Desire, can supply their own spoiler alert. Otherwise, it’s safe to say that Jasmine does not come to a happy end.
Cate Blanchett, however, can look forward to a very happy award season. They may even have to invent some new ones for her performance.The whole cast distinguishes themselves, especially Sally Hawkins, who is a convincingly good person without being simpering or insincere.
Blue Jasmine lets Woody Allen fans enjoy daytime in New York and San Francisco as well as midnight in Paris. For everyone else, it’s an engaging – though, not completely satisfying - story and a streetcar ride to actor heaven.
