“BLUE JASMINE” ****
Spending a few years overseas, leaving his beloved hometown, surely made very good for one of the greatest filmmakers in the world. Woody Allen has been acclaimed for 40 years, never giving up on his personal and authentic characteristics, and as life itself, he’s collected highs and lows.
During his vacation, he scored two major goals, one in Spain (Vicky) and the other in France (Midnight), even got an Oscar for the latest, and returned home. His new film is certainly an outstanding welcome back, and I dare to say that I haven’t seen anything like it in his career.
It seems like a recreation of his art and issues he’s been discussing throughout the years. Cate Blanchett gives a tour-de-force performance as Allen’s protagonist. As everyone knows, the master’s characters are always eccentric people dealing with their own beliefs, insecurities and uneasiness. And here is no different, a woman is trying to put herself together, after losing her husband and the wealthy life they shared. But Allen never created a character like Jasmine, with all the social aspects challenging her, something so contemporary, which suggests that finally he is in harmony with modern evolution and the changes on the way society behaves. Even in his low moments, Allen finds a way out to give us an irresistible chance to explore his characters, but although original, they could be considered as outdated. With Jasmine, and his usual sarcasm, he goes in another direction, discussing modern elements, aiming immediate social and political matters, such as the middle class crises, the process of growing old, the fear of solitude, the civic duties and the contradictions with the Government and the Taxes issue, with his impressive geniality and personal mark, but also with a sense of freshness, that could be the beginning of a brand new era in his career.
Surprisingly, this year’s best actresses are related to his work. Few months ago, we met Greta Gerwig as “Frances Ha”, which is a homage to one of Allen’s most famous films, “Annie Hall”. If in Greta’s character we experienced the dilemmas of a woman in her 20’s looking for meaning in life, in Blanchett’s Jasmine, we witness an older woman going through a similar despair, restarting from scratch, looking for freedom and self control. Both of them deserve a spot at next year’s Oscar’s race, and it’s impossible not to feel the same symptoms Jasmine does, some will identify with her, and other will be astonished by the self-strength, hopelessness and loss, demonstrated in every move and action. The audience reaction to Jasmine, is the same as her sister’s, when she tries to help her until she can get back on her feet. We become connected to her, and once we open the door, allowing and giving her space to find and restore herself, facing human values, moral conclusions and a materialistic generation, we experience one of the greatest studies on human emotions ever seen. Welcome back Mr. Allen.
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