Fans of Woody Allen and Cate Blanchett might want to hurry down to Carnival Cinemas to catch Blue Jasmine, because it’s not the sort of movie that stays long in Red Deer. It’s been out since August, so thanks to Carnival for finally letting us see it on the big screen. The same comments apply for Enough Said.

This is dramatic Allen rather than comedy with a magnificent performance by Cate Blanchett as a woman coming undone. There is lots of Oscar buzz about her role already. Her husband (Alec Baldwin) is a ruined con man and she’s lost the luxury house, jewels, travel and lifestyle to which she’d become accustomed. Penniless, she is forced to move in with her working class sister (Sally Hawkins) in San Francisco.

She tries to get her life back on track, taking a job as a dentist’s receptionist and a computer course with the idea of becoming an interior decorator. She even finds a man (Peter Skarsgaard) who might restore her to a life of luxury. But she can’t keep it together long enough and it is a shattering depiction of a sometimes aware, attractive woman coming apart.

There is also an excellent supporting cast with Bobby Carnnavale as Hawkin’s boyfriend and even Andrew Dice Clay as her ex-husband, who lost all their money to Baldwin’s ponzi schemes. This is serious Allen territory, and probably not as enjoyable as his comedies, but well worth a look.

Rating: four deer out of five

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Alf Cryderman is a Red Deer freelance writer and old movie buff.