Blue Jasmine

Woody Allen has been a bunch of hits and misses for me. More of the latter. This one, however, surges to the top of the list because of The Spectacular Cate Blanchett - who plays a neurotic ex-socialite struggling with the turn of events in her life. Heads to her sister's place in San Francisco, who is everything what big sister Jasmine isn't, to seek refuge. Things just get worse as she slowly and comically struggles to stay in the race with the Joneses. Louis C K makes a cameo as a cheating sound engineer and is perfect for a Woody Allen film - straight faced, dark, and makes more out of nothing. 'Blue Jasmine' does have a social angle to it - should be the campaign video for the President's latest brainwave on inequality.

Rating: * * * +

Lymelife

It is the 70's and Lyme disease has started to rear its ugly head. Even though only one of the characters is afflicted with the disease, the cast seem to be affected by it. Their inter personal bonds are all in pain just like the joints of the suffering patient. Hopefully some of them will get to the antibiotics in time.

Rating: * * +

Elizabethtown

A well-made Cameron Crowe film - cant crow (sic!) about its brilliant script or intelligent camera work - but being an ex-rock journalist, you can be assured of some good music being swung into the script. For Orlando Bloom's character: its part self-discovery (loses millions of $ in a shoe fiasco and contemplates suicide), part family crisis (father dies, to cremate or not?), part romance (Kirsten Dunst saves him from death?). Bloom does a reasonable job making it a fairly good watch actually.

Rating: * * +

The Cooler

William H Macy, playing Bernie Lootz, is the cooler at the Shangri-la Casino, Las Vegas. Ever indebted to his boss played by Alec Baldwin, Bernie is the man who brings ill-luck to the tables. An important quality for the smooth running of a Casino, but finds himself in the depths of despair at a personal level. Having had enough he decides to leave, when trouble in the form of a co-worker at the Casino and his son appears. Alec Baldwin's quality shines through, while Will Macy delivers a solid performance.

Rating: * * +