Woody Allen does A Streetcar Named Desire - the lead is a faded beauty who has fallen on hard times (Cate Blanchett) who arrives in a sweltering coastal city (in this case San Francisco) to live with her younger sister (Sally Hawkins) who has taken up with a loudmouth but sexy brute (Bobby Cannavale), who introduces the lead to his amiable but not very good looking friend (Max Casella). We also flash back to the lead's past, including the uncovering of a secret and her marriage to a handsome man - in this case a dashing, very rich crook (Alec Baldwin).
There are other variations on Streetcar - the sister is revealed to have gone out with another brutish guy (Andrew Dice Clay) and has a fling with another man (Louis C K), the lead has another love interest, a charming man who actually offers her the hope of a future (Peter Sarsgaard), as well as a step son.
I still can't get over the improvement in Woody Allen's films in the last decade once he got out of New York City and stopped making movies about men romancing women young enough to be their granddaughter. This does have some scenes in New York as well as Alec Baldwin chasing after some younger tail, but those scenes are in the minority.
The movie is a bit flabby and derivative in places (it also invokes Ingmar Bergman) but is intelligent and powerful, with some superb acting, particularly from Cate Blanchett in a very showy role. She looks beautiful, gets to be regal and funny, is sexually harrassed, seductive and goes barmy. There are pleasures which seem more precious in this day and age of CGI fantasy: gorgeous production values ("poor" Sally Hawkins has a great apartment) and views of San Francisco and the Hamptons, impressive costumes.
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