‘Blue Jasmine’ and ‘Elysium’: Inequality at the movies

Selfish one-percenters, honorable blue-collar characters, portraits of excess and decay -- Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine� and Neill Blomkamp’s “Elysium� are very different movies, but they grapple with the issue of income inequality in some surprisingly similar ways.

“Blue Jasmine,� Allen’s drama about a wealthy woman in the midst of a life crisis in contemporary San Francisco, and “Elysium,� Blomkamp’s sci-fi myth about a planet in the midst of a population crisis circa 2154, are both pointed parables about haves and have-nots. From their depictions of class differences to the qualities of their sharply drawn characters, here are some elements both movies share:

An urban auteur with a hardscrabble past

“Blue Jasmine�: The 77-year-old Bronx-born grandson of immigrants Woody Allen now lives in New York’s wealthy enclave, the Upper East Side.

“Elysium�: The 33-year-old South African child of apartheid Neill Blomkamp now lives in Canada’s wealthy West Coast enclave, Vancouver.

A brittle blond on the verge of losing it all

“Blue Jasmine�: In 2013, elegant New York socialite Jasmine, played by Chanel-clad Oscar winner Cate Blanchett, struggles to hold herself together with the help of vodka and pills

“Elysium�: In 2154, elegant French politician Secretary Delacort, played by Armani-clad Oscar winner Jodie Foster, struggles to hold her colony together with the help of spaceships and mercenaries.

A hard-working, tattooed working class hero jobbed by the system

“Blue Jasmine�: Andrew Dice Clay’s Augie gets taken in by a financial scam thanks to rich jerk Hal (Alec Baldwin).

“Elysium�: Matt Damon’s Max gets radiated in an industrial accident thanks to rich jerk John Carlyle (William Fichtner).

Broke, kindhearted single mom in peril

“Blue Jasmine�: Jasmine’s sweet brunet sister, grocery clerk Ginger (British actress Sally Hawkins), gets busy with a sketchy dude in a van (Louis C.K.)

“Elysium�: Max’s sweet childhood friend, hospital worker Frey (Brazilian actress Alice Braga), gets kidnapped by a sketchy dude in a van (Sharlto Copley)

How the wealthy relax

“Blue Jasmine�: Sipping drinks beside crystal blue swimming pools in the Hamptons, popping a Xanax.

“Elysium�: Sipping drinks beside crystal blue swimming pools in outer space, popping into a healing Med-Pod 3000.

How the poor get by

“Blue Jasmine�: In a cluttered San Francisco walkup, with dignity and a little help from charismatic ethnic guy Chili (Bobby Canavale).

“Elysium�: In a trash-strewn Los Angeles barrio, with dignity and a little help from charismatic ethnic guy Julio (Diego Luna).

Sign you’re probably in the 1%

“Blue Jasmine�: You find the ending of this movie terrifying and you’re planning to ask your stylist about that Hermes bag.

“Elysium�: You find the ending of this movie terrifying and you’re planning to ask your facialist about that Med-Pod 3000.

Sign you’re probably in the 99%

“Blue Jasmine�: You find this ending of this movie funny and you can’t imagine ever affording an apartment in San Francisco.

“Elysium�: You find the ending of this movie motivating and you can’t imagine ever affording a faux Tuscan mansion.