Review of Cassandra's Dream (2007) by Brad G — 25 Aug 2008

The tale of two brothers with serious financial woes. When a third party proposes they turn to crime, things go bad and the two become enemies. Written and directed by Woody Allen this crime/drama is a Tragedy in the Classic Tradition.

If you like old fashioned movies that rely of story, dialog, and acting; "Cassandra's Dream" is exactly the type of movie you should watch. It is not Allen at his best, but it is nonetheless entertaining.

Everything was good on the acting end, though not mind-blowing; both McGregor and especially Farrell gave strong performances. The story, though rather predictable, is still enjoyable. Nice use of London and the British countryside on Allen's part.

Overall, it's a solid film that will entertain, but that's about it. Yes, this is a film from a Woody Allen, who is not at his very best. However, at nearly 72 years of age and after writing and directing over 40 films, receiving 3 Oscars and over 77 other awards, his genius is surely entitled to a day off.

This time it is the actors who carry the day. Vilmos Zsigmund's cinematography, highlighting London and the English countryside, is stunning, and Philip Glass's score adds a powerful emotional dimension as well.

And the movie does indeed support the fact that we tend to get what we want, but we usually get more than we bargained for. That is the price of a dream. It is more Match Point than Scoop and that can never be a bad thing.

Not your average Allen movie, but still worth watching. A fine Noirish Parable.