Cassandra's Dream (2007)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer (WGA):

Woody Allen (written by)

Release Date:

26 October 2007 (Spain)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

How far will you go to make your dreams come true?

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Money | London | Loan Shark | Hotel | Loan

US TV Schedule:

Wed. July 22

7:00 AM

MAX

Cast

Ewan McGregor	...	Ian
Colin Farrell	...	Terry
Peter-Hugo Daly	...	Boat Owner (as Peter Hugo-Daly)
John Benfield	...	Father
Clare Higgins	...	Mother
Ashley Madekwe	...	Lucy (as Ashley Medekwe)
Andrew Howard	...	Jerry
Hayley Atwell	...	Angela
Sally Hawkins	...	Kate
Keith Smee	...	Terry's Track Mate
Stephen Noonan	...	Mel
Dan Carter	...	Fred
Richard Lintern	...	Director
Jennifer Higham	...	Helen
Lee Whitlock	...	Mike

Also Known As:

Le rêve de Cassandre (France)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, some sexual material and brief violence.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA | UK | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (Mono)

Certification:

Canada:14A | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Finland:K-11 | Portugal:M/16 | USA:PG-13 (certificate #43051) | Ireland:12A | Singapore:PG | Hong Kong:IIA | Sweden:7 | Taiwan:PG-12 | Netherlands:6 | Brazil:14 | Germany:12 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Peru:14

Filming Locations:

7 Barlby Road, Kensington, London, England, UK

Company:

Iberville Productions

Trivia:

Originally this was scheduled to open in late 2007 to qualify for Academy Award consideration. After some indifferent previews however, it was given a January 2008 release, traditionally the dumping ground for bad films.

Goofs:

Continuity: The ashtray and the cigarette pack keep appearing and disappearing on the table when Terry is eating with his whole family in the beginning of the movie.

Quotes:

Ian: Would you sleep with a director to get a part?
Angela: Well, that depends on the part, and who the director is, and how much I'd had to drink.
Ian: It's not a very comforting answer.
Angela: I didn't like the question.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: (2008-01-19)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Time to Undress

Crossing the Line of Morality

In London, the loser brothers from a working-class family, Ian (Ewan McGregor) and Terry (Colin Farrell), buy a second-hand sailboat name Cassandra's Dream for their leisure. Ian poses of big shot and has big dreams, saving money to invest in two hotels in California while the unstable Terry is an alcoholic gambler addicted in pills and mechanic. When Terry loses a great amount in a card game, Ian lends his savings to pay part of the sum Terry owes to loan sharks. When their wealthy uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson) arrives in London coming from China, the brothers see the chance to borrow the money they need to quit the debt with the loan sharks and to invest in the hotel. However, Howard asks them to get rid of his former associated Martin Burns (Phil Davis) that is threatening him and his businesses. Ian and Terry have to decide whether they shall cross the line and help family or face the lack the money to resolve their issues.

"Cassandra's Dream" is a tragic thriller where the plot point is the moral decision of two simple but honest brothers whether they should cross the line, commit murder and live with that later. Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor have great performances and their characters are perfectly developed; Hayley Atwell is extremely gorgeous. However, Martin Burns is not well-developed, maybe intentionally by the writer and director Woody Allen, to keep a distance from the viewer the same way Ian and Terry do in the story. The tension in the plot is limited, actually prevailing the dramatic moral fight of Terry and Ian later in this engaging movie. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Sonho de Cassandra" ("The Cassandra's Dream")