Woody Allen's new movie "Blue Jasmine" is now playing in theaters. It tells the story of the past and present of New Yorker, Jasmine (the fantastic Cate Blanchett). We see parts of her past---times when she was living as a rich socialite married to Hal (Alec Baldwin)---but the present of the film takes place after that life has been destroyed. She moves in with her sister, Ginger (Sally Hawkins), who lives in San Francisco, and attempts to get back on her feet. She's become an alcoholic and has very dark, dark psychological problems (these aren't the typical light anxiety problems you find in a Woody Allen picture). As the film plays, we, the viewers, watch her struggle to get back on her feet and try to figure out just how she became who she is now. This makes for fun, entertaining, even if sobering at times, viewing. However, the film would not be nearly as good if it weren't for the courageous and stunning performance of Australian actress Cate Blanchett. She pulls off playing the kind of woman you'd expect to be married to a Madoff-type so superbly without (as is typical) much guidance from Woody Allen (that's just his directorial style). After seeing the film, it's no wonder there's already some Oscar buzz about her performance. In fact this is the primary reason to see the film. It should also be said, however, that most of the supporting cast (I say "most" because Alden Ehrenreich, who plays Jasmine and Al's son, can't act to save his poorly written character; more on this anon) is really outstanding is well. All of Jasmine's lovers, Hal and Dwight, and all of Ginger's lovers, Augie, Chili, and Al, are all incredibly acted by Alec Baldwin, Peter Sarsgaard, Andrew Dice Clay, Bobby Cannavale, and Louis CK. The cinematographer, Javier Aguirresarobe, who shot "Vicky Christina Barcelona" captures both what you think of when you think "San Francisco" but also the beauty of Cate Blanchett, even when she's completely falling apart in a little humble San Francisco apartment. You get all of this, complete with Woody Allen's excellent ability to mix comedy and drama, when you buy a ticket for "Blue Jasmine." However, there are flaws.
Like with some of Woody Allen's other recent films (barring "Match Point," "Vicky Christina Barcelona," and "Midnight in Paris") I wished he would've taken a year or two (as opposed to half a year) to write the script. Sometimes the movie feels clunky in the same way a first draft feels, even though this first draft clearly has something going for it. Hal and Jasmine's son is completely underwritten and one-dimensional. His motivations for his actions and the way his actions are carried out are unclear and, at best, distracting from the main storyline. Some parts of the story feel contrived merely to move the story in the direction Woody wants it to go instead of allowing it to flow and develop naturally. Parts of the script, like the beginning where Jasmine is explaining her past to a woman on a plane, are uncomfortable and above all unnecessary. Indeed, most of the first 30mins or so is a flashback making all of that awkward monologue superfluous. Nevertheless, despite some of its clunkiness in parts, the climax and ending are fantastically ambiguous as far as understanding the character of Jasmine goes. Woody Allen creates a great character study and leaves it open to the viewer regarding what to think of her. It's almost as if he created this movie to figure out people like this and in the end he offers us no answer. The movie is better for this. Too often character study films are made that have obvious moral tones. I recommend it to fans of either Woody Allen or Cate Blanchett. It's my fourth favorite movie of the year so far.
My second favorite movie of the year so far is Andrew Bujalski's period mockumentary of sorts "Computer Chess." The director is somewhat of a big deal in the film movement, mumblecore. Indeed he is known as the "Godfather" of the movement. Mumblecore films are characterized by naturalism in the sense that non-actors are typically used in order to get a very real feel in both performance and dialogue. The films are also often cheaply made, being shot digitally rather than with film. Mumblecore movies have never struck a deep cord with me. Usually it has nothing to do with the style, but, rather, with what the movie's about or whether it's well-made in a general sense. Now I don't think it takes a lot of money to make a good film. I just think most of the ones I've seen are not well-made. However, films like "Cold Weather" and "Computer Chess," the latter of which played last week in Phoenix, are different. Granted these films and, perhaps, especially "Computer Chess" are not for everybody (two ladies left within 20mins). However, if you're a certain kind of nerd who enjoys a certain kind of extremely dry sense of humor, then "Computer Chess" is sure to be a treat. The film is shot with technology readily available during the time period in which the story takes place, the 80s. The film looks like the black & white versions of the home movies I grew up co-starring in with my family. The film is about a convention for pitting computers against computers in games of chess. The convention and the scenes pretty much entirely take place within a hotel. What was really fascinating for me, was how spot-on Bujalski captures
nerd spirit. Seriously, I've been in similar situations with very, very
similar characters at the academic conferences I've been to. I couldn't
get enough of just how accurate the script and some of these non-actors
were.
Though at the start it feels more like an ensemble, one star emerges, Peter (Patrick Riester). Peter's "arc" is really fantastic. Peter is an anxious young computer programmer who really wants the software he's been working on to stop losing. He spends most of his time diagnosing what the problems might be, sometimes with his adviser (who talks him into confusion) and other times all night with one of the members of an opposing team (the only female at the convention, which is a big deal and hilariously over-emphasized). Peter often finds himself in situations where he is not the dominant personality. In one part of Peter's story, he finds himself "in bed" with some pushy New Agers, for instance! Other fantastic characters include Papageorge and Les. Papageorge is a luddite who doesn't want to admit he didn't book a room. He spends most of his time orbiting around the hotel in the hopes someone will let him stay with them, despite the fact that he's against all this computer nonsense. Les is a British programmer complete with great little character traits like popping his collar after hours. He's also adamant about not drinking more than three scotches. "Any man can program his way out of anything on three scotches." All in all, this made "Computer Chess" one of the most charming and funniest movies I've seen in awhile. It's unfortunate that these movies typically only get one week runs in theaters. If you know me though, I'll keep you updated on how you might be able to feast your eyes on "Computer Chess" via the interwebs.
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