Was Jasmine a victim, or part of the problem? (SPOILERS)

Well, the climatic scene in the film is when her husband tells her he's leaving her for another woman, which leads her to have a massive panic attack and call the Feds on him.

So, yes, Jasmine definitely knew he was a crook, on some level. There were a couple flashbacks that hinted at that, as well as the scene in the diner with her nephews where she said she had her suspicions. However, Jasmine was so dependent on him and the lifestyle he provided that she constantly looked the other way and blinded herself to the truth. But, when all of that threatened to come crashing down, she snapped and ratted him out, even though she seemed to feel deeply guilty about it afterwards.

That's all the complexity of the character, perfectly played by Cate. I think it would be tough to label her as victim or as co-conspirator. She's a shade of gray. Jasmine isn't made all good or all bad, by Woody's writing or Cate's acting, especially since she's so unlikable in certain ways but also still sympathetic and human.

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and they're true dullards. Jasmine is a victim of only her own sociopathetic behavior. Nothing was forced on Jasmine. Jasmine reaped what she sowed.

I'm surprised Woody didn't make her a little less shallow, narcissistic, vindictive, etc.

It isn't till near the end of the film when we discover that Jasmine turned her husband in to the FBI, that she had known all along about his dealings. She wasn't going to let her husband walk out on her with some teenage girl. At that moment she didn't even think about what it was going to do to her, or anyone else, she just wanted to destroy Hal. She even got her sister and brother in law involved by getting them to invest their winnings with her husband. They lost all of their money when Hal was arrested, Jasmine didn't even think about what it would do to them. Even right to the end she maintained that she just wanted to help them and had no idea what Hal was up to.

Jasmine loved her high society lifestyle that being married to Hal brought, however she wasn't going to stand by and have him divorce her for the Au Pair. That would have destroyed her reputation and instead she chose to destroy his first.

IMO A mix of both things; she had to deal with a lot of betrayals and obstacles... but mainly she was a crucial part of the problem.

She had a superficial and materialistic mentality that just can't give and bring happiness to anyone (including her). She needed less pills and more psychological and psychoanalytic treatment.

She was most definitely a part of the problem.

She blindly went along with everything, her husband's shady business dealings, his affairs, always knowing in the back of her mind that something was up, but not wanting to dwell on it because it might upset her vain, hollow life. She was a glorified whore.

And when it was shoved in her face to the extent that she could no longer ignore it she adopted a scorched earth tactic and completely destroyed her husband, as if it was all his fault. Let's not forget who was the trophy wife here. She had absolutely no reason to be proud, or vain, she had never accomplished anything of worth in her entire life. When her false pride got hurt and she ran to the FBI she destroyed not only Hal, but the son she professed to care about, and herself.

And she learnt nothing from it. The first opportunity to go back to being a vapid trophy wife she took. She is definitely a part of the problem.

Your friends weren't paying attention. It's crystal clear, when she calls the FBI, that she at the very least strongly suspected his dealings were dodgy (she also admits earlier, when drunk, that she had suspected something). Yes, her stepson resented her because he knew she'd destroyed his father and rightly viewed her as a hypocrite - she was happily turning a blind eye until she calls the cops out of wounded pride.

She was a victim. Knowing about the fraud is one thing. Actually being part of it is another. She never signed any deals, or worked with her husband. Heck, she can't even use a computer.

I bet a lot of cheated-on housewives would do what she did, knowing that you're about to be traded in for a younger model. Whether they would have caused their family's downfall as well, if their family's investments were all tied up in their husband's name, is another matter.

Unfortunately, she loses a lot (not all) of my sympathy by failing to learn from her husband's mistakes. Once she meets a potential new love, she becomes a liar - just like he was.

A pretty girl's guide to London: http://youtu.be/RLFUi4EWatQ