New Images Of Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Sally Hawkins & More In Woody Allen’s ‘Blue Jasmine’

It’s that time of year again, when Woody Allen emerges like a cinematic groundhog, delivering yet another movie, before scurrying back behind-the-scenes. Just like the weather predicting marmot, you never know quite what you’re going to get with Allen. Light comedy? Sober drama? The writer/director at the height of his skills, or simply churning out a script he had buried at the back of his desk? Well, the good news is that “Blue Jasmine” looks very promising (trailer here) and now here are a few more pics to get you ready.

The film stars CateBlanchett as the titular Jasmine, who is forced to move in with her sister Ginger (Sally Hawkins), after her marriage to the wealthy Hal (Alec Baldwin) falls apart. And as Jasmine rebuilds her life, she’s criticizes her sister’s, but soon comes to some realizations about who she really is. And with a supporting cast including great folks like Bobby Cannavale, Andrew Dice Clay, Michael Stuhlbarg and Louis C.K., this one is looking like a summer treat.

“Blue Jasmine” blooms on July 26th. Here’s the full official synopsis, though it’s slightly spoilery so you may want to skip it. [EW]

After everything in her life falls to pieces, including her marriage to wealthy businessman Hal  (Alec Baldwin), elegant New York socialite Jasmine (Cate Blanchett) moves into her sister  Ginger’s (Sally Hawkins) modest apartment in San Francisco to try to pull herself back together  again.

Jasmine arrives in San Francisco in a fragile mental state, her head reeling from the cocktail of  anti-depressants she’s on. While still able to project her aristocratic bearing, Jasmine is emotionally precarious and lacks any practical ability to support herself. She disapproves of  Ginger’s boyfriend Chili (Bobby Cannavale), who she considers another “loser” like Ginger’s  ex-husband Augie (Andrew Dice Clay). Ginger, recognizing but not fully understanding her sister’s psychological instability, suggests that she pursue interior design, a career she correctly intuits that Jasmine won’t feel is beneath her. In the meantime, Jasmine begrudgingly accepts  work as the receptionist in a dentist’s office, where she attracts the unwanted attentions of her boss, Dr. Flicker (Michael Stuhlbarg). 

Feeling that her sister might be right about her poor taste in men, Ginger starts seeing Al (Louis C.K.), a sound engineer whom she considers as a step up from Chili. Jasmine sees a potential lifeline when she meets Dwight (Peter Sarsgaard), a diplomat who is quickly smitten with her beauty, sophistication and style. 

Jasmine’s flaw is that she derives her worth from the way she’s perceived by others, while she herself is blind to what is going around her. Delicately portrayed by a regal Cate Blanchett, Jasmine earns our compassion because she is the unwitting instrument of her own downfall. Woody Allen’s new drama BLUE JASMINE is about the dire consequences that can result when people avert their eyes from reality and the truth they don’t want to see.