--- title: "Blue Jasmine" year: 2013 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/blue-jasmine" fi1m_score: 82 critics_score: 81 critics_reviews: 23 published: "2026-09-17T07:56:02.411195+00:00" updated: "2026-09-17T07:56:13.780196+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Blue Jasmine (2013) Directed by Woody Allen · 1h 39m · MPA PG-13 · Drama **Fi1m score: 82** · Critics 81 from 23 reviews *In a sentence:* Being broke has done nothing to improve Jasmine’s opinion of other people > Cate Blanchett makes this drama about a fallen socialite funny, painful and difficult to dismiss. Woody Allen’s plotting can feel too tidy, but the performances make the damage feel real. ## Synopsis Ginger (Sally Hawkins) visits Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) in New York, where Jasmine’s life with her husband Hal (Alec Baldwin) comes with money and social standing. The visit appears in flashbacks: Hal’s fraud has since brought Jasmine’s comfortable existence down. In the present, Jasmine wants to start again without surrendering the standards she acquired while she was wealthy. She has lost her money, but still expects the people around her to accommodate her. Moving between her marriage and her reduced circumstances, the film follows her attempts to recover a life she continues to regard as rightfully hers. ## Review Woody Allen’s *Blue Jasmine* is an absorbing, uncomfortable study of a woman who cannot bear to revise her opinion of herself. We recommend it for Cate Blanchett, though the supporting performances make that sound too narrow. Jasmine’s husband’s fraud has stripped away the money that made her assumptions seem reasonable; she is still trying to live by those assumptions. The film takes her suffering seriously without accepting her account of herself, and its occasional clumsiness is worth tolerating for that. Cate Blanchett makes Jasmine exhausting company, which is a considerable risk for the centre of a 99-minute film. The performance is tightly wound, but there is enough variation in the strain to stop it becoming a single prolonged crisis. Her entitlement and her terror remain visible together, and being selfish does not make her distress less painful to watch. Cate Blanchett allows the comedy to come through without using it to relieve the pressure on Jasmine, whose efforts to maintain her dignity become increasingly difficult to witness. Sally Hawkins gives Ginger sufficient warmth and self-respect to prevent her becoming merely a useful contrast. Ginger’s visit to Jasmine in New York is particularly telling about Jasmine’s concern with social standing. We felt embarrassed for Ginger, because that concern makes an ordinary visit uncomfortable. Andrew Dice Clay, as Augie, also brings a welcome sense of hurt that has not been dressed up for an audience. These performances give the film people we can care about beyond its lead. Javier Aguirresarobe’s photography is handsome and clear, which matters in a film so dependent on our reading of faces. The images let us attend to the performances without competing insistently for attention. Santo Loquasto’s production design makes the difference in the women’s circumstances readable without requiring a speech about income. The comfort of Jasmine’s earlier life looks worth wanting, which helps explain why she remains so attached to it, even as her attachment becomes destructive. Alisa Lepselter’s editing gives the flashbacks a useful sharpness, allowing the past to interrupt the present. Jasmine’s former life remains close enough to distort her understanding of what is happening now. Moving between the two prevents the film from settling into a simple account of someone getting poorer and sadder, and the changes are easy to follow. There are moments when the writing pushes the connections too hard, but the arrangement gives us time to recognise her habit of avoiding whatever she does not want to know. The reservation is with Woody Allen’s writing for some of the people around her, who have clearer functions than personalities. Alec Baldwin’s Hal belongs to a story about greed that can feel too neatly organised, especially beside the untidy emotions Cate Blanchett supplies. The plotting occasionally makes its point with more force than credibility. These limitations matter, though the actors do much to compensate, and the film remains attentive to the pain caused by Jasmine’s determined self-deception. As a social satire, *Blue Jasmine* sometimes sorts people into their allotted places too briskly. As a character study, it gives its actors enough freedom to complicate those judgements, and that is where it earns our recommendation. Its dark comedy also allows embarrassment to linger after a scene has produced a laugh. Choose it for the performances, and do not expect much cheering up. *Fi1m score 82, published 17 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics greet Blue Jasmine as a strong return to form for Woody Allen, with praise centred on Cate Blanchett’s portrayal of a fallen socialite caught in self-deception. The reviews repeatedly credit her with making Jasmine’s anxiety, entitlement and distress believable, while many also praise the supporting cast. Admirers find the mixture of bitter comedy and tragedy affecting, and see the treatment of class, greed and denial as unusually pointed. The spread is wide despite the strongly positive majority, with reservations clustering around contrived plotting and thinly drawn supporting characters. For some, Blanchett carries a script that does not always match her; others admire the structure but find the characters unconvincing. The Financial Times objects to the film’s artificiality and simplistic social divisions, while The Wrap finds that it fails to hold together. Even these dissenting reviews praise Blanchett, making her performance the clearest point of agreement. ### Reviews we read (23) - **Little White Lies**, David Jenkins (2/5/5): Blanchett delivers a career-best turn as the narcissistic, broken Jasmine in what may be Allen's finest work. The film stands out as a raw, contemporary tragedy centered on class, self-delusion and irreversible decline. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/blue-jasmine) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (5/5): Bradshaw calls it a late triumph for Allen, an outstanding and absorbing movie with a magnificently watchable lead performance by Cate Blanchett as the self-deluding socialite and superb supporting turns. He highlights the bittersweet comedy, depth, pathos and resurgent maturity in the storytelling. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/sep/19/blue-jasmine-review) - **The Independent** (5/5): The critic calls it a small miracle and autumnal drama, praising Cate Blanchett's magnificent performance as the fallen socialite Jasmine above all else. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/film-review-blue-jasmine-cate-blanchett-delivers-astounding-performance-as-fallen-park-avenue-princess-8842086.html) - **Empire**, Simon Braund (90/100, inferred): The review hails it as Allen's best in years, praising the incisive brilliance, Blanchett's powerhouse performance, and its astute observations on society and deceit. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/blue-jasmine-review/) - **Film Comment**, Amy Taubin (90/100, inferred): Allen’s best film in years is a dark social satire driven by Blanchett’s towering central performance as a deluded socialite undone by her husband’s crimes and her own disavowals. The critic singles out Blanchett’s raw, human portrayal of mental unraveling for particular praise. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/review-blue-jasmine-woody-allen/) - **The New Yorker**, David Denby (90/100, inferred): The critic views the film as a brilliant contemporary homage to 'A Streetcar Named Desire,' with Cate Blanchett giving a mesmerizing, complex performance as the delusional Jasmine. He singles out Allen's sharp social commentary on class and inequality as making it his strongest and most resonant film in years. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/07/29/timely-projects) - **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis (Critic's Pick): The critic praises Cate Blanchett's riveting performance as the fallen socialite Jasmine and calls the film Woody Allen's most sustained and resonant work since 'Match Point.' She highlights its moral fable on greed and comeuppance while noting the strong ensemble and thematic depth. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/26/movies/cate-blanchett-stars-in-woody-allens-blue-jasmine.html) - **Slant Magazine**, Nick McCarthy (3.5/4): The critic sees it as one of Allen's strongest and most pointed films in over a decade, centered on a complex psychological portrait of entitlement and denial. Blanchett's lead performance is singled out as exceptionally well-cast and nuanced despite some underdeveloped supporting characters and occasional narrative clunkiness. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/blue-jasmine/) - **Variety**, Justin Chang (85/100, inferred): The critic lauds Cate Blanchett's tour-de-force, bipolar performance as the unraveling Jasmine and praises the film's balance of rueful humor, emotional depth, and class satire. He notes strong supporting turns and Allen's skillful update of familiar themes as a meaty return to American soil. [Read](https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/film-review-blue-jasmine-1200563873/) - **Sight and Sound**, Nick Pinkerton (80/100, inferred): Allen makes contact with contemporary hard times and assembles his best recent cast for a tragi-comic study of delusion and downfall. Blanchett's performance as the unraveling socialite earns particular praise for its moving blend of farce and tragedy. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-blue-jasmine) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy (80/100, inferred): The critic calls it a fine character study among Allen's recent works and praises Blanchett's tour-de-force performance as the central achievement. Minor plot contrivances are noted but do not detract from the layered portrayal of the protagonist's unraveling. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/blue-jasmine-film-review-586287/) - **The Times** (80/100, inferred): The review praises Blanchett's performance as Jasmine, a neurotic, selfish socialite brought low by her husband's fraud, calling it the best of her career as the film shifts from light comedy to tragedy, with strong emphasis on her central role. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/golden-girl-dlflktjhx7q) - **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (4/5): Allen delivers his strongest film in years, anchored by Blanchett's affecting, perfectly judged performance as the brittle socialite whose world collapses. The knotty, blackly comic story of family, fraud and self-deception avoids easy answers. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/blue-jasmine) - **Total Film**, Jamie Graham (80/100, inferred): It is described as a handsomely shot, structurally deft dramedy with a terrific performance from Blanchett that makes the character understandable, blending rigour and vigour as one of late-period Woody's best. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/blue-jasmine-review/) - **Screen Daily** (75/100, inferred): A nimble, glancingly funny examination of existential crisis and self-delusion anchored by Blanchett's superlative, wound-up performance. The film shows perceptive dramatic insight into the pull of the love and status one feels entitled to. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/blue-jasmine/5058406.article) - **Vulture**, David Edelstein (70/100, inferred): The review finds Allen's drama comes close to feeling like a wheeze but is sold beautifully through Blanchett's performance as a modern Blanche DuBois figure. It highlights the strong supporting turns and the film's effective updating of Streetcar themes with a Madoff twist. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2013/07/movie-review-blue-jasmine.html) - **Financial Times** (40/100, inferred): The critic finds Blue Jasmine combines what one wants from Woody Allen with what one does not, praising the look, some performances including Blanchett and Hawkins, and clever structure but criticising its confected quality, lack of funny lines, social Manichaeism and overall offence. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/210d3e80-268f-11e3-9dc0-00144feab7de) - **HeyUGuys**, Stefan Pape (5/5): The critic calls it one of Allen's darkest and most accomplished films, praising the masterful screenplay structure with flashbacks and emotional depth. Blanchett and Hawkins deliver breathtaking performances in this character-driven piece about class and personal downfall. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/blue-jasmine-review/) - **Eye for Film**, Jeff Robson (85/100, inferred): The critic hails it as a return to form and step forward with the wit and insight of Allen's classics, blending rawness, warmth, shrewdness and humour. Blanchett's performance turns a potentially monstrous character into a believable, complex human being. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/blue-jasmine-2013-film-review-by-jeff-robson) - **The Playlist**, The Playlist Staff (B+): The critic notes the script is sometimes clunky and uneven but highlights an outstanding, Oscar-worthy firecracker turn from Blanchett that makes the film raw-nerve stuff full of emotional pain. Supporting cast is strong and themes of class and delusion are sharply observed. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/review-woody-allens-blue-jasmine-starring-cate-blanchett-alec-baldwin-sally-hawkins-20130717/) - **Paste**, Monica Castillo (7.8): The critic finds the film somber and bitter, almost too dark to enjoy, but praises Cate Blanchett's extraordinarily impressive performance as the anxious, elitist leading lady, noting the film's capture of a woman on the edge of a nervous breakdown. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/blue-jasmine) - **Den of Geek**, Paul Martinovic (3/5): Blue Jasmine has much to admire in its cast, structure and visual clarity but ultimately feels technically brilliant yet lacking in soul and credible characters. The critic praises the uniformly excellent ensemble, especially Andrew Dice Clay’s surprising pathos in a small role. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/blue-jasmine-review/) - **The Wrap** (40/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a mixed bag that finds Allen returning to a more serious tale, but notes it doesn't really hang together with underdeveloped supporting characters. Blanchett delivers a tour de force performance as the title character. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/blue-jasmine-review-something-borrowed-woody-allens-dull-blue-103946/) ## Details - **Director:** Woody Allen - **Director:** Woody Allen - **Writer:** Woody Allen - **Cinematography:** Javier Aguirresarobe - **Editor:** Alisa Lepselter - **Production design:** Santo Loquasto - **Producer:** Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum, Edward Walson - **Cast:** Cate Blanchett as Jasmine; Sally Hawkins as Ginger; Alec Baldwin as Hal; Peter Sarsgaard as Dwight; Bobby Cannavale as Chili; Andrew Dice Clay as Augie; Louis C.K. as Al; Michael Stuhlbarg as Dr. Flicker - **Runtime:** 1h 39m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 23 August 2013 - **Genres:** Drama - **Budget:** $18 million - **Box office:** $99 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UBv1S4Ajfs ## Where to watch in the US - Amazon Prime Video: add-on - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $12.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-17.* Also available in: AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CL, CO, DK, ES, FI, GB, IE, IN, IT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 2014: Best Supporting Actress (nominated); Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated); Best Actress (won) ## If you liked this - *A Streetcar Named Desire* (1951): Another unwelcome arrival whose social pretensions cannot conceal her distress. - *The House of Mirth* (2000): For another painful account of status, money and dwindling choices. - *The Servant* (1963): Class resentment becomes a domestic struggle, with nobody behaving especially well. - *The Headless Woman* (2008): A quieter, stranger examination of privilege and the convenience of not knowing. - *Another Year* (2010): Lesley Manville makes difficult company painfully human in another unsparing character study. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/blue-jasmine