Cassandra's Dream (2007)

Instant Favorite.

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

"Cassandra's Dream" reminds me of those one-off stories we used to get on "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". Over time, Woody Allen has come up with more than one drama in the vein of Hitchcock or Polanski."Cassandra's Dream" came out shortly after "Match Point" and had a similar vibe with luck, fate and a touch of Dostoyevsky playing a part. It was also in Woody's British phase - the heavy-handed "Scoop" separated the two. Mind you, it's not as good as "Match Point". Woody tried some of the same twists, but they weren't as fresh this time around - and it's hard to beat a film that had Scarlett Johansson in that kind of form.However "Cassandra's Dream" isn't as bad as some critics would have us believe.Brothers Terry and Ian, played by Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor, are a couple of lads who are full of schemes and live beyond their means. They buy Cassandra's Dream, a yacht they can't afford. Their financial situation is further depressed when Terry incurs some potentially fatal gambling debts and Ian falls for a high maintenance actress. They need money and lots of it. They turn to rich Uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson). However he asks for an unexpected service in return: the termination with extreme prejudice of a rival. One thing leads to another and eventually even the close brotherly bond between Terry and Ian becomes compromised.The ending is a bit of a downer. Maybe Woody wasn't seeing any silver linings at the time. "Match Point" was saved because we were put in the position of identifying with a totally self-serving character who gets away with it. "Cassandra's Dream" on the other hand forces us to identify with a couple of losers who don't get away with anything.Farrell and McGregor play well off each other and there are beautifully observed characters throughout the film. Familiar British actors add a touch of quality: Jim Carter as Terry's boss, John Benfield as the Dad and Phil Davis as the man Uncle Howard wants out of the way.The script lacks the sizzle of "Match Point" or "Blue Jasmine"; we wait for the insights, but they are few and far between. However Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor make "Cassandra's Dream" watchable - even if it is just once.

If you've never seen any of Woody Allen's movies, make sure you don't choose this turkey as your introduction to his otherwise wonderful oeuvre. The plot is a cliché taken straight out of a daytime soapie and despite a seemingly excellent leading cast, the acting is beyond wooden. Colin Farrell is reported as saying this movie took him more takes than Miami Vice. Pity they didn't take a lot more or better still, take none at all and start over. Abysmal.

There is a story about two brothers. The first one is full of confidence and ambitions, the second one is a weak gambler. Both of them have some difficulties with money and the solution comes just in time. The question of moral was played really interesting in this movie. An idea of two brothers on the different sides of the attitude towards murder is just great. I am always really involved in the subject like that, enjoy watching argues on such an issue. That is why I think that this movie is certainly intellectual and interesting. However, the end is, as usually, boring and predictable. I wish I could change it to the Match Point end. It will be far more interesting - just dispose of this *Crime and Punishment* capstone of modern cinema.Woody should cross the line, show us more unpunished blood. That is what I would certainly want to watch.

This is the third time Allen has made a drama dealing with the moral insanity surrounding the possibility of murder. The first - "Crimes and Misdemeanors" - is one of his very greatest films. "Match Point" made only two years before "Cassandra's Dream" was strong, if not as complex and gut-punching as "Crimes…". While critics liked this film by far the least of the three, I feel this can certainly stand at least on equal footing with "Match Point". I will concede that the conclusion is slightly underwhelming and feels rushed. But the strong performances by Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell (who arguably does his best work ever here) as brothers in various financial need -- whose rich uncle will bail out if they kill someone -- make the film upsetting (in the good way) and tense. Indeed there are some terrific Hitchcockian moments in the film. Allen breaks with his normal style in interesting ways. Instead of only using source music, Philip Glass contributes a powerful and effective score. And the camera-work by Vilmos Zisgmond uses different kind of camera movement than I usually associate with Allen, including a sort of 'creeping camera' that helps to heighten the tension in a number of scenes. Make no mistake, this is more moral drama than thriller, and those expecting a thriller's pace will be frustrated. But whatever its flaws, it's an intelligent, well acted attempt to come to grips with moral responsibility in a world where money rules all.