Cate Blanchett's Superb Sweaty Performance

Actors are beautiful. A great majority of them. They exude grace and beauty that can stop you dead in your tracks. Living in LA it's happened to me. Even actors that are not the typical definition of beautiful tend to have something about them. Louis CK being a prime example. 

Woody. A total boss.

Over the weekend I caught Blue Jasmine the latest Woody Allen film. Cate Blanchett despite playing an unhinged whack-a-doo she is gorgeous in this film. I know by industry standards she is respected as a beautiful talented woman, but she wasn't on my radar much. She was just there floating around aimlessly in my memory bank labeled as "that one actress who's been in that one film." Until I saw Blue Jasmine.

Woody Allen has made some of my favorite films including Annie Hall (complexities of relationships) and Match Point (sexy suspenseful drama). The man writes and directs a damn good script. His directing style appears effortlessly distinctive and recognizable across all genres of film. The dialogue he writes for Blue Jasmine reminds me how clever Woody is. He creates an environment that engrosses you where you can't stop talking about it hours after the film. Woody, you're fabulous.

Cate's performance as Jasmine is phenomenal. Beyond her beauty I wanted to share that she sweats in Blue Jasmine! Go get your ticket now. I perk up anytime I see any sort of pit stain on screen. 

Girl, you lookin' damp.

The downside is the wet rings under her arms are from pure anxiety and Xanax induced side effects. She's not one of us. Regardless I appreciate Woody including this as part of her character. I would be interested to see how it's denoted in the script.  Jasmine's emotional breakdown is a full body experience. Watching a beautiful woman sweat through an expensive silk dress makes me smile. I've been there. Although my dress was probably polyester. And depending on how you look at it you might be comforted by Jasmine, "Well at least when I sweat through my dress I wasn't a complete train wreck."

Keep sweatin' Hollywood.