Luxurious bathing in a traditional style bathroom in the film Blue Jasmine

“Be sure to thoroughly vet your architect” advises Jasmine, (Cate Blanchett)to her potential husband/client, Dwight, (Peter Sarsgaard) in the new Woody Allen film, Blue Jasmine. As the lead character, the line delivered in her delicious quasi-Brit- speak, sounded authoritative. And I couldn’t agree more.

The role, wonderfully acted by Blanchett, allows Jasmine to fake it pretty well as an interior designer. Prior to this point in the film, the apartment she shares with her husband, (Alec Baldwin), is a fabulous, sprawling Upper east side pre -war with lots of molding, marble, even columns ( a bit out of style).

One scene takes us into a plush library, painted in serious hues of a rich dark green. The production design, done by the always great Santo Loquasto is pitch perfect, setting up the backdrop for Jasmine’s life when she’s married to a rich player, and then, when she’s  living with her sister in a crammed and funky flat in San Francisco, where she is camping out to “get her life in order.”  This is where she comes up with her scheme for becoming an interior “decorator” as she calls it. Ironically, she was planning on learning these skills by taking an “online course.” I’m not aware of any online education in the field, but rather, I’d suggest to anyone needing the services of an interior designer or architect to view www.designerpreviews.com  and give me a call! Oh and don’t miss the film; Woody Allen is one of Designer Previews favorite film makers.