To those who say that Woody Allen has lost it, we have two words: "Blue Jasmine." At 78-years-old, one could forgive the prolific, iconic and extensively celebrated filmmaker for resting on his laurels, but Blue Jasmine - which stars Cate Blanchett in one of her best roles to date - shows Woody on brilliant, unexpected form. It was Midnight in Paris that brought critics and audiences back around to Woody's side, of course (he won an Oscar for Best Screenplay in 2011), but whereas that was a fairly fluffy movie, Blue Jasmine is one of the director's tougher efforts. Comparisons have been made between Tennessee William's classic A Streetcar Named Desire, and it's true that Allen seems to have taken the bare bones of that story to carve something equally tragic and resonant, albeit in modern times. As Jasmine, an upper class snob who suddenly finds herself having to move back in with her sister, Blanchett is mesmerising: whilst we despise her condescension, we can't help but feel sorry for her, too. In a lot of ways, Blue Jasmine is a simple movie, but it cuts deep: it's also proof that Allen is yet to lose his touch.
