Review of Cassandra's Dream (2007) by Isabelle P — 23 Aug 2010

Liked, but liked less than Match Point which it recalls. Hopelessly tragic and sinistre, the film is pierced with humour, more than Match Point and as a result the narrative''s tone is more ambivalent and the narrative itself is less tightly strung together, less tense, and the film doesn t seem to know where it stands.

The beauty and surprise of Match Point was its pure remorselessness, and the character's calculated, impenetrable, Nietschean psychology-- completely contrary to every other character we ve known through Woody Allen: transparent, verbose, neurotic...

Here, Woody Allen writes himself once again into his characters which, I think, has now become his greatest weakness. He needs to write against himself.

The two brothers are ravaged by their consciences, which of course complicates the plot line, yet precipitates a predictable ending. The whole film feels like deja vu. Which, then again, may very well be an impression deliberately conveyed by the director. The title is after all Cassandra's dream.