Very well executed

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Cate did a wonderful job. A true actress. It is easy to see why she was nominated.

Why? It's hard to know if Woody is being satiric, being self referential, satiric about being self referential, self loathing, ironic about being ironic or just dreadfully so seriously self absorbed that it takes itself seriously. Maybe a little of all of that. I will say this; it's got the standard Woody check boxes; overbearing 90 year old jazz soundtrack, too much dialog, absurd ethnic stereotypes and a plot that goes nowhere.

I won't go into the reasons why I was never a Woody Allen fan; suffice it to say I went into this movie armed with the XXL tub of popcorn to hurl at the screen. With some pebbles & broken glass mixed in for good measure.98 minutes later I was ready to sing the praises of this film, and today 24 hours later I still can't get it out of my head. "Blue Jasmine" is an exceptional film, and I'm not just talking about Cate Blanchett's well-deserved-Academy-award-winning performance. More about that in a minute, but let's touch on why the story is such a worthwhile experience."Blue Jasmine" is a loose, modernized retelling of the classic "Streetcar Named Desire". Cate Blanchett does an amazing job of playing the delusional southern belle character "Blanche" this time around as a delusional Madison Avenue socialite "Jasmine" who, like Blanche, has lost everything except her stubborn insistence that she is still one of the social elite. Imagine the cast of Sex & the City with their credit cards taken away and with the job skills of a pomeranian. You can imagine how this story is the ultimate tale of irony.Where this differs significantly from the original Streetcar is in the portrayal of how Jasmine/Blanche deludes herself. Cate Blanchett's performance shows us a deeply conflicted and tortured person, as opposed to the original Blanche who had her rose colored glasses on hi-beam. In the DVD extras, Woody Allen specifically mentions that he wanted to explore this angle because that's how he believes delusion works in the real world. The deluded individual does not skip merrily through life but rather, suffers an agonizing existence caught between reality and feeble lies. This lends a very powerful authenticity to the story, once you realize that Jasmine can't even fool herself. Pay close attention to Jasmine's mannerisms as she tells her lies; she is not carefree and nonchalant. She stutters, she is evasive, twitchy and very uncomfortable. This realistic portrayal of a mentally unbalanced individual is what draws us in and creates a connection with the audience. As she slowly unravels, we are drawn in even tighter to see how it all plays out.Oh, on that note I want to issue an anti-spoiler: significant plot elements are changed from the original Streetcar, so even if you are familiar with that story you can still enjoy this as something new.If you don't know Streetcar, even better. Seeing this story for the first time will really captivate you from start to finish. All performances were excellent, and I mean excellent, with a notable nod to Sally Hawkins who plays Jasmine's loyal sister Ginger (Stella). She conveys a sense of puppy dog naïveté without seeming outright stupid. It's the perfect counterbalance to Jasmine's jaded, cynical, woman-of-the-world personality. Sally's dramatic moment near the end is one of the most powerful scenes in the film.But of course, every dramatic scene with Cate Blanchett is hands down amazing. She does an excellent job of portraying creeping madness (with hints of chemical addiction?) in a way that is absolutely over the top, but very appropriate. She is the equivalent of a mumbling bag lady, but with a Gucci bag. Don't miss this flick. Even Woody Allen haters, I guarantee you'll be very impressed.

It's what you can expect from a Woody Allen movie. The thing that maybe makes this movie worth while is the superb acting of the lead characters. But other than that, the movie is predictably depressing in its attempt to portray the struggles of a middle aged woman who has hit rock bottom after a failed marriage. Without spoiling the plot, the ending is classically Woody Allen too, completely random.