Cassandra's Dream
starring: Colin Farrell, Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell, Peter-Hugo Daly, John Benfield
directed by: Woody Allen
directed by: Woody Allen
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Product Description:
Movie DVD
Amazon.com:
Scottish Ewan McGregor and Irish Colin Farrell play two Cockney brothers who get in over their heads when a wealthy relative asks for a favor. Woody Allen's sleek thriller Cassandra's Dream begins in innocent times: Ian (McGregor) and Terry (Farrell) buy a sailboat and name it Cassandra's Dream. But soon Terry falls afoul of gambling debts and Ian falls head over heels for a sultry actress who doesn't take him seriously, leading them to ask their uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson) for money, which he's happy to give them--if they'll get rid of a man who's going to testify against him. The first half of Cassandra's Dream zips along with short, concise scenes and charismatic performances by the lead lads. Newcomer Hayley Atwell (Brideshead Revisited) is alluring as the actress, while Sally Hawkins (Persuasion) brings warmth and sympathy to the underwritten role of Terry's girlfriend Kate. The second half--as with many of Allen's later films--seems to run out of steam, though there's still much to admire about Allen's clean, unfussy filmmaking. Regrettably, he seems to have lost the ability to sustain his imaginative spark. The weakness is in the writing; too many of the characters are barely sketched and clumsy lines of dialogue jar the ear in otherwise well-shaped scenes. But just when you're ready to throw up your hands, there's a moment of understated grace, in which Allen's simple visuals capture something with crystalline clarity. Cassandra's Dream is a frustrating movie, but it has its rewards. --Bret Fetzer
Movie DVD
Amazon.com:
Scottish Ewan McGregor and Irish Colin Farrell play two Cockney brothers who get in over their heads when a wealthy relative asks for a favor. Woody Allen's sleek thriller Cassandra's Dream begins in innocent times: Ian (McGregor) and Terry (Farrell) buy a sailboat and name it Cassandra's Dream. But soon Terry falls afoul of gambling debts and Ian falls head over heels for a sultry actress who doesn't take him seriously, leading them to ask their uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson) for money, which he's happy to give them--if they'll get rid of a man who's going to testify against him. The first half of Cassandra's Dream zips along with short, concise scenes and charismatic performances by the lead lads. Newcomer Hayley Atwell (Brideshead Revisited) is alluring as the actress, while Sally Hawkins (Persuasion) brings warmth and sympathy to the underwritten role of Terry's girlfriend Kate. The second half--as with many of Allen's later films--seems to run out of steam, though there's still much to admire about Allen's clean, unfussy filmmaking. Regrettably, he seems to have lost the ability to sustain his imaginative spark. The weakness is in the writing; too many of the characters are barely sketched and clumsy lines of dialogue jar the ear in otherwise well-shaped scenes. But just when you're ready to throw up your hands, there's a moment of understated grace, in which Allen's simple visuals capture something with crystalline clarity. Cassandra's Dream is a frustrating movie, but it has its rewards. --Bret Fetzer
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: 
- Sorry Woody, Sidney Lumet Did It Better
What happens when two veteran directors make two similarly themed movies, each focusing on two brothers planning the perfect crime? Predictably, in each case, it all goes horribly wrong. However, only in Sidney Lumet's "Before the Devil Knows Your Dead," is that a good thing. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke (along with Albert Finney and Marisa Tomei) make Lumet's botched robbery caper consistently intriguing and suspenseful. In the case of Woody Allen's "Cassandra's Dream," the brothers-in ... Read More
Rating: 
- re-make
i liked the acting but the script was tried and true formula; basically Woody trying to be Hitchcock with more verbal philosophical arguing. i think also the film had not one laugh. basically a re-make of "Crimes and Misdemeanors" which was better.
Rating: 
- DVD features
Great DVD, but there are No special features! good if you're just buying it for the movie...
No behind the scenes or making of... or deleted scenes!!! especially deleted scenes!!! every movie has deleted scenes...
well...
either way mi piace questo film.... Match Point e' piu meglio... molto meglio... this film lacks the momentum and granduer of Match Point... same ingredients as Match Point but the Chef was drunk when he cooked this one...
Rating: - Worth checking out.
I think this film is remarkable more for what it is not than for what it is:
It is not a period piece, costumed war-drama, fantasy, comic-book adaptation, biopic, mystery, legal thriller, or twenty something romance. And though it is a Woody Allen film, it is not remotely comedic.
It is, though, one of the only films in the last decade to even attempt to deal seriously and directly with what, in a time of war and world-wide terrorism, one might think might be rather fundamental ... Read More
Rating: 
- Could have been so much better
I am new to Allen's movies. This is the second of his movies that I have watched (the first was Vicky Christina Barselona). To be honest, I am a little underwhelmed.
The story is interesting enough. Two working class brothers find themselves in some money troubles (one lost 90 thousand pounds playing pocker, another needs extra money to continue supporting his expensive love interest). They turn to their rich uncle for help. Uncle is supportive enough, but needs a favor in return. This favor ... Read More
- Sorry Woody, Sidney Lumet Did It BetterWhat happens when two veteran directors make two similarly themed movies, each focusing on two brothers planning the perfect crime? Predictably, in each case, it all goes horribly wrong. However, only in Sidney Lumet's "Before the Devil Knows Your Dead," is that a good thing. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke (along with Albert Finney and Marisa Tomei) make Lumet's botched robbery caper consistently intriguing and suspenseful. In the case of Woody Allen's "Cassandra's Dream," the brothers-in ... Read More
- re-makei liked the acting but the script was tried and true formula; basically Woody trying to be Hitchcock with more verbal philosophical arguing. i think also the film had not one laugh. basically a re-make of "Crimes and Misdemeanors" which was better.
- DVD featuresGreat DVD, but there are No special features! good if you're just buying it for the movie...
No behind the scenes or making of... or deleted scenes!!! especially deleted scenes!!! every movie has deleted scenes...
well...
either way mi piace questo film.... Match Point e' piu meglio... molto meglio... this film lacks the momentum and granduer of Match Point... same ingredients as Match Point but the Chef was drunk when he cooked this one...
- Worth checking out.I think this film is remarkable more for what it is not than for what it is:
It is not a period piece, costumed war-drama, fantasy, comic-book adaptation, biopic, mystery, legal thriller, or twenty something romance. And though it is a Woody Allen film, it is not remotely comedic.
It is, though, one of the only films in the last decade to even attempt to deal seriously and directly with what, in a time of war and world-wide terrorism, one might think might be rather fundamental ... Read More
- Could have been so much betterI am new to Allen's movies. This is the second of his movies that I have watched (the first was Vicky Christina Barselona). To be honest, I am a little underwhelmed.
The story is interesting enough. Two working class brothers find themselves in some money troubles (one lost 90 thousand pounds playing pocker, another needs extra money to continue supporting his expensive love interest). They turn to their rich uncle for help. Uncle is supportive enough, but needs a favor in return. This favor ... Read More
