Blue Jasmine

AroView: Another jewel from ‘late period’ Woody Allen with Cate Blanchett also in fine form as a down-at-heel socialite who moves to San Francisco to rebuild her life with the help of her working-class sister (Sally Hawkins).

Considering the rate of knots that Woody turns out feature films, this is one of his most well-rounded stories with a symmetrical/flashback structure that incisively contrasts both the “us and them” and the “then and now” of the siblings and their men folk. Even if it bares the (teeth)marks of a terminally grumpy old man, the script is refreshingly free of Woody’s usual art-and-culture gripes while his trademark wit has not betrayed him. With the aid of a congenial cast, it’s a film that not only hit a lot of right notes but, with the topicality of post-financial crisis, also hits a nerve.

“Allen’s best film in years, astute, humane and shot through with keen observations on the state of the world.” ~Empire