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Cassandra's Dream (Woody Allen, 2007)
This is a good example of how I look at films completely differently than many current professional reviewers and average film watchers. Woody Allen's latest (and it's not surprising if you don't even know it exists because of non-marketing) has been compared to Sidney Lumet's last one, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. They are very similar, at least superficially. They both involve brothers who get in way over their heads. They both seem to be attempts at modern Greek tragedies, so it goes without saying that things will end badly. They both concern the family as the overriding concern in one's life. Lumet's film was critically-acclaimed, and although the acting was good, the plot spilled over into such extreme areas that I found it more laughable than tragic. Allen's film is more predictable and offhand and wasn't well-regarded from most reviewers, but it seems to actually be stronger to me, as both entertainment and honest human drama.
Cassandra's Dream is the third consecutive Woody Allen film shot in London. These films seem to have recharged his batteries because they're much more interesting than his other output in the 2000s. Match Point was a potent drama and Scoop was a fun comedy, but one thing all three of these movies have in common is that they all involve murder, so they can be seen as variations on Woody's themes in Crimes and Misdemeanors and even Manhattan Murder Mystery. In this film, brothers Ian (Ewan McGregor) and Terry (Colin Farrell) need some financial help to see their dreams come true. Since they're both working-class blokes, they have little chance of ever striking it rich, but they are lucky enough to have their mom's rich brother, Uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson), so when he visits for their mom's birthday, the brothers approach him to help them with their two different problems. Unfortunately, although Uncle Howard seems more than willing to help them financially, he's seeking quid pro quo in the form of the boys murdering a business "associate" who has the goods on Howard's shady dealings and may send him to prison for life.
The plot contains many other elements and details, and they all add to the overall enjoyment of watching the film. As I said, it's fairly predictable, but I found it fun to yell out what was going to happen next and hum the Dragnet theme music before something nasty was going to happen. Going back to my first paragraph: many people complain that an Irishman and a Scotsman could never be believable brothers, especially when their folks and a girlfriend seem to be Cockneys. However, Uncle Howard certainly has no Cockney accent, and both Farrell and McGregor do a good job of ditching their normal accents and sounding more like Tom Wilkinson. Considering that the two brothers want to be upwardly-mobile, just like their uncle, is good enough for me. Besides, I was more interested in listening to Phillip Glass's score or watching Vilmos Zsigmond's subtle lighting and camerawork. Both McGregor and Farrell play their roles well. In fact, seeing Farrell agonize over his qualms about murder is actually an interesting comparison/contrast with his novice hitman role in the superb In Bruges. I realize I haven't said that much, but that's the way I like to keep my reviews: spoiler-free and appetite-whetting.
This is a good example of how I look at films completely differently than many current professional reviewers and average film watchers. Woody Allen's latest (and it's not surprising if you don't even know it exists because of non-marketing) has been compared to Sidney Lumet's last one, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. They are very similar, at least superficially. They both involve brothers who get in way over their heads. They both seem to be attempts at modern Greek tragedies, so it goes without saying that things will end badly. They both concern the family as the overriding concern in one's life. Lumet's film was critically-acclaimed, and although the acting was good, the plot spilled over into such extreme areas that I found it more laughable than tragic. Allen's film is more predictable and offhand and wasn't well-regarded from most reviewers, but it seems to actually be stronger to me, as both entertainment and honest human drama.
Cassandra's Dream is the third consecutive Woody Allen film shot in London. These films seem to have recharged his batteries because they're much more interesting than his other output in the 2000s. Match Point was a potent drama and Scoop was a fun comedy, but one thing all three of these movies have in common is that they all involve murder, so they can be seen as variations on Woody's themes in Crimes and Misdemeanors and even Manhattan Murder Mystery. In this film, brothers Ian (Ewan McGregor) and Terry (Colin Farrell) need some financial help to see their dreams come true. Since they're both working-class blokes, they have little chance of ever striking it rich, but they are lucky enough to have their mom's rich brother, Uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson), so when he visits for their mom's birthday, the brothers approach him to help them with their two different problems. Unfortunately, although Uncle Howard seems more than willing to help them financially, he's seeking quid pro quo in the form of the boys murdering a business "associate" who has the goods on Howard's shady dealings and may send him to prison for life.
The plot contains many other elements and details, and they all add to the overall enjoyment of watching the film. As I said, it's fairly predictable, but I found it fun to yell out what was going to happen next and hum the Dragnet theme music before something nasty was going to happen. Going back to my first paragraph: many people complain that an Irishman and a Scotsman could never be believable brothers, especially when their folks and a girlfriend seem to be Cockneys. However, Uncle Howard certainly has no Cockney accent, and both Farrell and McGregor do a good job of ditching their normal accents and sounding more like Tom Wilkinson. Considering that the two brothers want to be upwardly-mobile, just like their uncle, is good enough for me. Besides, I was more interested in listening to Phillip Glass's score or watching Vilmos Zsigmond's subtle lighting and camerawork. Both McGregor and Farrell play their roles well. In fact, seeing Farrell agonize over his qualms about murder is actually an interesting comparison/contrast with his novice hitman role in the superb In Bruges. I realize I haven't said that much, but that's the way I like to keep my reviews: spoiler-free and appetite-whetting.