Cassandra's Dream - or - Woody Allen Does British (Again!)
August 19th 2007 14:13
Cassandra's Dream - a film by Woody Allen
Starring Ewan McGregor, Collin Farrell and a young up-and-comer, 25 year old Britisher Hayley Atwell, Cassandra's Dream is about two brothers whose debts send them to their uncle, a "legitimate business-man" (gangster!) who sets them off for a life of crime and eventually into a position where they find themselves as enemies!
Atwell plays MacGregor's love interest. An ironic, brunette beauty, Atwell plays her role with an elegant, sultry manner, delivering Allen's solid one-liners with an excellent caustic wit. Look out for this girl. She's going places.
McGregor is brilliant!
It's hard to remember that this was once the bearded and robed man spewing out the trite bilge that George Lucas regarded as Shakespeare in the "new" Star Wars trilogy.
McGregor, Farrell and Allen look pensive on the set
Farrell is his usualy moody self. However, it has to be said that he has not had a script as accomplished as what Allen serves up here yet. The resulting performance is excellent, if somewhat predictable.
The lynch-pin of the entire production is Tom Wilkinson - who has been earning a great living of late playing criminal king-pins. His performance is commanding and energetic and yet he never spills over into rage. His reserve, I suspect, is even more terrifying than his fury. At least that's how it seems in this movie.
Do not expect Allen's usual dialogue heavy script here. As with Match Point, images speak louder than words and, while his script is slower than usual, the action is faster. The result is a fascinating, entertaining and somewhat psychotic movie experience.
Again, as with Match Point, the films greatest drawback is its plot.
Continually suggestive of some greater end and brilliantly consistent in its build-up of darkness, conflict and tension, the action concludes satisfactorily and yet the film has really succeeded in going nowhere but to your head!
Once again Allen tricks his audience into falling for one set of his characters before suddenly turning the tables and revealing their faults and the eventual justice of their demise. It's brilliant, and it should draw a crowd. Now that a trailer is out and a release date is set, expect to start hearing Oscar buzz.
Cassandra's Dream looks set to be another Allen masterpiece - however, that largely depends on your idea of what constitutes an Allen masterpiece, or whether those words are a contradiction in terms!
Cassandra's Dream could prove to be quite the success. As usual this will depend on the reception it gets in the US. Eitherway, Australian audiences, in seven months time: go see this movie!
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