Woody Allen’s previous film To Rome With Love may have been a bit of a drag, but Blue Jasmine is quite a bit more captivating than most of his films. Blue Jasmine is not a brilliant film but is definitely light-hearted. Alec Baldwin, Cate Blanchett, Salley Hawkins, Andrew Dice Clay, and many more fit this dark comedy about the struggles of flaws and money. However, this film may be one that drags but once it is thought about after being viewed, the good sides come to mind easily.

Blue Jasmine is about a New York socialite named Jasmine (Blanchett) who is in trouble since she married a man who scammed people through millions of dollars and became rich. The man’s name is Hal (Baldwin) a cheating and lying loser who is a nice guy up front, but is a complete liar. Now Jasmine who normally lives the life of being rich and splurging over herself ninety percent of the time, has to find a way to actually make money and go on with her life.

Jasmine has a sister named Ginger (Hawkins). They are both sisters that were adopted. They are opposite but similar. Jasmine is a lady that comes from a wealthy life style, and Ginger lives in a life style where she always has to work minimum wage jobs and care for her own children. She lets Jasmine in to live with her and her boys to give Jasmine a chance to get her life together.

Ginger is someone though who always wants a relationship and is a person that drinks a lot. She has a boyfriend named Augie (Clay). A typical sports fan and a heavy drinker. He thinks Jasmine is honestly just a gold digger and does not care about her sisters. This may seem true, but to be honest Jasmine tries. So this puts Jasmine in place of trying to study, deal with Gingers kids, her cheating husband, and Gingers drunken boyfriend.

I find this movie moving. I am someone who is always sophisticated with how  Allen makes his movies. The fact that he always makes them have bright picture and color. Also he picks all of the commercialized vacation spots in a variety of cities. He makes his audience feel more excited if they ever have the opportunity to travel to the locations of his movies. 

The cinematography was done by Javier Aguirresarobe. Aguirresarobe did the photography for Allen’s 2008 classic Vicky Christina Barcelona. With Aguirresarobe’s cinematography he brings us into this amazing setting in New York and San Francisco, and captures the lives of these lonely individuals in this dark comedy. Blanchett is wonderful at being someone who use to live the high life and is now depressed. Baldwin has the skill to stay in character and be the mean, stuck-up liar. Finally, Ginger is brilliant for being a lonely, single mother, and someone who always makes the wrong choices with men.

Overall, Blue Jasmine is a masterpiece. Sides of it dragged but it involves your full-on attention. I think I may even need to watch it a third time since I watched it at night after a long day at work. Probably not the wisest thing to do if it is a Woody Allen flick. Three stars.

Nothing can defeat a space adventure that Gravity is. Gravity is visually-stunning. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney are spectacle in this cinematic experience where viewers feel they are part of the suspense. Especially in IMAX 3D. There have been several space movies that have captivated me, and at first with Gravity I was worried about it at first with the fact it is only ninety-two minutes. Where as most space movies go like two hours flat. However, it was a ninety-two minute thrill ride that I will have to experience again once it re-releases in IMAX January 31st. It is so worth it even for a second experience if it has already been seen once.

The story follows a space mission involving two astronauts in space Ryan Stone (Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (Clooney). Both are traveling space together and working on space mechanics in space. However within minutes of their procedures, things start falling apart. Satellites crashing, metal objects flying everywhere, and the home base getting destroyed. This leaves only Stone and Kowalski to find a way to survive so many stories high into space with probably very little or maybe even know help. In IMAX the suspense feels real, and you feel like literally you are joining them in the process of trying to survive.

I was blown away by this movie. I am a fan of many space movies like Apollo 13, ET, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and many more. It makes you look back at these space films wondering how space can be. It especially makes you think about what would actually happen if you could go to space in your life. How would you prepare? What can possibly go wrong? Gravity leaves you asking yourself all of these questions and actually makes the film become a more inviting experience when it gets even more suspenseful.

This is  Alfonso Cuaron’s tenth installment. I remember the most previous sci-fi movie he directed was back in the year 2006 and the film was Children of Men. For the editing he had his editor who edited his film Children of Men to edit Gravity. That editor is Emmanuel Lubezki. I will say honestly the editor deserves credit for editing this roller coaster ride of a movie. He made the space scenes so visual and was able to capture a variety of facial expressions of Sandra Bullock. Those facial expressions make audience feel that we can feel the emotions of the danger that Bullock’s character is experiencing.

Do they make it out of space alive? If you have not seen it Find out and see it for yourself. Three and a half stars. It is now playing in 3D for a limited time but if you really want the experience it returns to IMAX January 31. Do not miss it.