Stellar Blanchett pole-vaults flawed script

BLUE Jasmine, a relentless, unflinching portrait of a woman on the verge, begins innocuously enough with the promise of some lightweight interaction, but it isn't long before we realise that the title character played by Cate Blanchett is more likely to elicit nervous laughter instead. By the end, we have been pulled through an emotional wringer and taken on a journey where success hinges primarily on Blanchett's ability to inhabit the role.

As if there were ever any doubt. Blanchett's bravura performance is the powerful engine that drives Blue Jasmine, which is a stark departure from Woody Allen movies of the recent past.

There may be a hint of humour in the air, but the film comes across as a serious study of a complex and deeply flawed woman filled with the neuroses and tragic qualities that have become hallmarks of Allen's most memorable female characters - and of the director himself.