I confess, I don't usually enjoy Woody Allen movies. There's too much fretting about relationships, and there's too much talking. This, however, was an unexpected, pleasant surprise. The key to the plot all devolves from Jasmine's marriage to a New York financial whiz of questionable integrity. Alec Baldwin hits the part out of the park which allows the movie to spend its quality time exploring the toxic relationship to wealth some people have.

The second most salient plot element is Jasmine's adoptive sister, Ginger, played by Sally Hawkins, who is as unforgettably effective as the other leads. As a guy, I've known women exactly like her, and I would be surprised if any woman in the audience didn't. The interaction between Ginger and Jasmine keeps the entire movie roiling. It involves her sister taking Jasmine in despite her having looked down on her since she became rich.

We're also treated to excellent performances in smaller roles by Andrew Dice Clay, and, my favorite, Bobby Cannavale, as Ginger's boyfriend, Chili. There's even more to be said about the acting than just these standouts that I won't include for the sake of brevity, but suffice it to say, it's all top notch.

The real payoff here is what Mr Allen is choosing to depict of those whose life is overly dependent on wealth. Woody Allen had always seemed fairly indifferent to wealth to me, so I imagined he wanted to protect those who had it, which put me off. But that's not the case here. Mr Allen is quite pointed about what's out there in terms of financial hazards, and how it can destroy lives.

As to Cate Blanchett there is something odd going on with her in this movie. I've seen many great performances by actresses, in particular, but never one that seemed as if the actress was somehow only devoting maybe 90% of her skill to a difficult role, and still she pulls it off brilliantly! That missing 10% is somehow not acting and with us, the audience, as her real self, quite conscious of the moment, and it's like spending time with an attractive woman. It's almost as if we're also actors and she's showing us only enough for us to see what she's capable of. She thinks she can trust us to understand where she's taking her performance, and somehow it works. This is the most wonderful acting by an actress I've seen this winter, a real delight, and I can't imagine her being bested at the Oscars.

So, in short, I'm surprised to find that this is my favorite Woody Allen movie for a variety of reasons, and I highly recommend it.

Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) is a snooty New York socialite who loses everything when her husband Hal (Alec Baldwin) is imprisoned for financial fraud. She is forced to live with her lower class sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins) in San Francisco. They were both adopted but Jasmine was always the favorite. Also Hal had lost Ginger and her husband Augie (Andrew Dice Clay)'s money.

I write this in the midst of the resurfacing of Woody Allen's personal problems. This must be overlooked for a review of his movie. Anyways, this is much more Cate Blanchett's movie. She is absolutely amazing and deserves the Oscar. Whether Woody's turmoil has tanked her chances, time will tell.

If there is possible improvement, it's to get Sally Hawkins more time with Cate Blanchett. Their relationship is where the best character developments are. The flashbacks to Jasmine history with Hal is less compelling. We already know most of her past story. Showing the audience adds very little. However Jasmine having hallucinations is a great way to have those flashbacks.