Movie Review - 'Cassandra's Dream'

Cassandra's Dream

Starring Colin Farrell, Ewan McGregor, and Tom Wilkinson
Directed by Woody Allen
Rated PG-13

A touch of Lenny and George from Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men can be seen in the performances given by Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell in Woody Allen's new drama, Cassandra's Dream. McGregor is Ian, who's a bit of a hustler; he's always just short on money, always has a big scheme in mind and can always persuade his more physical, less socially graceful brother, Terry (Farrell), to go along with the latest gambit.

As it becomes tougher for Ian to keep up appearances - borrowing cars from his brother's auto body shop to impress first dates will likely cause problems if the vintage Jaguar isn't around for the second date - he becomes more desperate for cash. When he meets the beautiful Angela, Ian spins a tale of bankrolling hotels in California, an investment opportunity he also smooth talked his way into.

Meanwhile, Terry's means of financial independence has always been gambling, but when his hot streak ends, he and Ian are in the same boat, both literally and figuratively: They're hard up for coin and they're the new owners of the small boat, Cassandra's Dream.

So the brothers listen intently when their rich uncle (Tom Wilkinson) offers to fund their wants and needs in return for a small favor. The small favor violates one of the ten commandments, and it's not the one about honoring thy mother and father. Of course, murders aren't generally clean in movies, even though the last time Woody Allen stepped foot on British soil for Match Point, it was a tidy killing indeed.

Once again, Allen displays the dark filmmaker within him. Known for his landmark romantic comedies more than for his often brilliant, sometimes showy dramas, something turned over in his creativity within the past few years.

The dark undercurrent in Cassandra's Dream work where maybe Allen's dialogue doesn't. Cast against the bleak English sky, you get the very real sense that these characters don't just want out of their lives, they need out of their lives.

McGregor comes off a tad smug, which can't really be helped because of his character's nature. Farrell is a mess, but in a powerfully revealing way. Terry, as it turns out, can't be away from the life he's created, no matter how much he needs the change of scenery. Any blip haunts him and pushes him closer to a breakdown.

Not as efficient as Match Point, but still cold and gripping - particularly once the tangled web begins to weave - Cassandra's Dream indicates that Woody Allen still has a few more lives to topple in his career, if not a few more characters to kill.