A nicely done piece in Forbes, which I arrived at after Googling "blue jasmine is a movie about handbags," because that's what I said at the end of the closing credits: "That movie was about handbags." In the middle of the movie, I nudged Meade and said: "I've never seen a movie with so many women so attached to their handbags."
The 2 main female characters were constantly carrying around big handbags. One of them was dancing at a party with a big, clunky bag hanging from her shoulder. There was a scene where the 2 women carried big bags while buying a smaller bag, and yet they continued to carry big bags after that. We saw the main character — Jasmine, played by Cate Blanchett — dig in her bag for money, throw her bag on a sofa in a tantrum, accidentally dump the contents of the bag on the street in a moment of hysteria.
That darned bag — Hermes — should get a nomination for Best Performance in a Supporting Role.
But importantly — spoiler alert — when Jasmine leaves the apartment in the final scene, after she takes the shower, she walks out to go wandering the streets talking to herself, she has no handbag. That's how you know she's really crazy now. She was pretty much crazy from the first scene, but she had her handbag every step of the way. And now: No handbag!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
9 comments:
When you said, "I've never seen a movie with so many women so attached to their handbags," did you purse your lips?
Jasmine was crazy from living a superficial life of fashion and riches that she threw away in anger at the con man she was married for conning her too.
Oh well. Money isn't everything...it's the only thing. What did Jesus know.
jasmine tried her con again as a rich man's social partner with a rich fool. But it failed. Reality is so cruel, and then the empty bag is gone too.
"And now: No handbag!"
Didn't she have a shopping bag?
You say handbags, I say purse.
Thanks for the link. Good advice, and I need to check out more of Ms. Jacobs' articles.
Nobody says "pocketbook" anymore.
That was the standard term where I lived when I was growing up.
Don't forget your pocketbook.
Nice pocketbook.
You like my new pocketbook?
Going to hell without a handbag
I couldn't believe Dr. T and the Women was a film about Richard Gere as a duck-hunting Texas gynecologist, but Altman is no Allen: it was not misogynistic.
In contrast, imagine that distasteful old man thinking about women and their handbags.
Rob breaks out of the blocks strong.
Tradguy has a good synopsis of the movie.
Mrs Jim and I saw the movie Friday. We both agree that Andrew Dice Clay should be in more movies. When we met, Mrs. Jim was not a Woody fan. I am bringing her around and this movie helped.
Ms. Blanchett should receive an Oscar nom for this role. So should Dice.
I though Alec Baldwin did a great job of playing the person I imagine Alec Baldwin to be.
Post a Comment