This is how Woody sees us.

The joys of this film are obvious -- I was mesmerized the first time I saw it, mainly by the central performance -- but the more I think about it, the more it feels like Woody has stopped being a part of society and started looking at it from the outside.

Now, he's indulged in some rather broad characterization before (and that's not a bad thing -- it's integral to much of his comedy) but this film felt like the first time he was shaking his fist at everyone. Maybe this is just symptomatic of getting older. I'm a misanthrope myself, but I'm not proud of it, and Blue Jasmine seemed to offer an uneasy reflection of the worst parts of my personality.

I mean, are we supposed to judge Chili and his short, bearded friend for their lack of refinement? I did.

Are we supposed to find Ginger's kids insufferable? I did.

Are we supposed to relate to Jasmine and Hal's awkward frustration of having to deal with Augie and Ginger during their stay in New York? I did.

Are we supposed to take satisfaction in Jasmine's clarification that her husband didn't strangle -- rather, his neck snapped? Some sort of catharsis for everyone who's fallen victim to white collar sleazeballs?

When it's revealed that Al C.K. is married, are we supposed to think, "Serves you right for not settling for Chili, Ginger?" I didn't.

Are we supposed to laugh at Augie's dopey blue collar manner, ambitions and how easily he was fleeced of his recent winnings? I wasn't, but then he showed up at the end (Dice ex machina?) and vindictively tore into Jasmine, eroding any sympathy I might have had and reinforcing the notion that his character is a blundering oaf.

And, most fundamentally, are we supposed to take some perverse joy in seeing this frivolous, oblivious socialite suffer a four-alarm mental collapse?

What saves the film, I think, is that this last question isn't so clear cut; and what makes it more fascinating is that this is probably Woody's best film in years, so maybe indulging in misanthropy is good for him, artistically.

And maybe that's the only way he can deal with the world now -- or at least the only way he can use it in his art and yield satisfactory results.

But my reaction to having watched it a second time was definitely one of, "This is how Woody sees us." And I'm not sure he's wrong.