Blue Jasmine – 7

Woody Allen looks back, through Tennessee Williams to Shakespeare and the Greeks, to give us a classic tragical heroine. There is no story ‘arc,’ as is the Hollywood norm; instead, we are left to watch the inexorable, inevitable descent of Jasmine French from Hamptons high to homelessness. When she appears to have a chance to escape with an unsuspecting Peter Sarsgaard, the only question is who will expose her and when. We know her doom is ordained. Cate Blanchett is extraordinary and a shoo-in for an Oscar nod. Sallie Hawkins as her slightly goofy sister should get one, too. Then, unfortunately, there is Alec Baldwin, acting no different than in his credit card commercials. Blanchett/Jasmine stands out from her surroundings, good for her but bad for the movie. In sum, it’s a one-character tour de force, but not much more