Cassandra's Dream (2007)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Megan S

  
  I don't remember anything about this movie and I watched it about a month ago so I guess that's all that needs saying about it.

• Drew S

  
  A definite Woody Allen dog, it's no wonder why this one was pronounced D.O.A. Perhaps the rustiest nail in the coffin is an abysmal performance by Colin Farrell, cast correctly but totally unfocused. I don't know if he was embroiled in the throes of his well-known cocaine… More
  A definite Woody Allen dog, it's no wonder why this one was pronounced D.O.A. Perhaps the rustiest nail in the coffin is an abysmal performance by Colin Farrell, cast correctly but totally unfocused. I don't know if he was embroiled in the throes of his well-known cocaine habit or what, but he seems glassy-eyed and inexpressive here, just barely coming to life by the melodramatic ending. It doesn't exactly help that his character has exactly three lines ("I like to gamble," "we shouldn't do this," "we shouldn't have done that"), but watching him made the movie a totally difficult sell for me. Ewan McGregor isn't offensive, and I'll watch any movie where he whips out the tits, but he isn't exactly bringing much to the table either as a listless intellectual. Though his performance is adequate, there really isn't any interesting ground for him to cover. Finally, Hayley Atwell, who I'm guessing was an aborted Woody Allen muse in the making, is pretty awful herself. No surprises as to why her career vanished like it did, as her presence is broad and easy and she lays her character flat in about thirty seconds, though that may also be the script cheapening her. I know these characters are not supposed to be sympathetic, but instead of wanting to slap them and yell some sense into them, I really just wanted to shut the movie off. My frustration was outside this insular, dull universe Allen had created. The two figures who emerge unscathed are Sally Hawkins, luminous and heartbreaking as Farrell's trivialized girlfriend, and Tom Wilkinson, who is chewing the scenery but at least he's doing something. It becomes tragically clear who the real actors in the cast are and who's just along for the ride. Actors aside, there's not much they could have done for this ridiculously pat morality play, where absolutely nothing worth noting is going on except Philip Glass' cool score. The movie strings you along on generic conflict after generic conflict, when finally it decides that an end has been reached and it sweeps everything under the rug in a mostly hilarious fashion. Not only is it rushed, but it's a complete and total dud. Unless you're an absolute Allen diehard, there's no reason to see Cassandra's Dream if you've seen a heist flick or something more complicated than Transformers 2 in the last five years.

• Conner R

  
  Woody Allen seems to be into tragedies lately. The bulk of the movie I loved, but like Match Point, the ending was such a turn off. I felt cheated of an actual ending. It was like he had just given up at the last minute and says to himself: "lets just kill them both off for the… More
  Woody Allen seems to be into tragedies lately. The bulk of the movie I loved, but like Match Point, the ending was such a turn off. I felt cheated of an actual ending. It was like he had just given up at the last minute and says to himself: "lets just kill them both off for the hell of it". I think he wanted it to have an original ending, but failed miserably. On a lighter note, Ewan McGregor was really amazing in this. He was able to make his character justified all the way through, even though his choices weren't. Acting-wise i'd give it an A+, but the writing just got sloppy at the end.

• Aaron N

  
  Terry: "Gee, ain't life grand?" You know where that's from? What movie? Ain't Life Grand, no?" Bonnie and Clyde. Two Barrow brothers having a fine time and Clyde says, "Ain't life grand?" Ian: You know what happened to them? Another Woody… More
  Terry: "Gee, ain't life grand?" You know where that's from? What movie? Ain't Life Grand, no?" Bonnie and Clyde. Two Barrow brothers having a fine time and Clyde says, "Ain't life grand?" Ian: You know what happened to them? Another Woody Allen film that sides with the dramatic parts of life. It stars Colin Ferrel and Ewan McGreggor as two brothers with money problems and a solution to that problem in the form a deadly proposition. All the leads are good here, but the main problem is the lack of any flash. For a Woody Allen film the dialog doesn't really spark with much clever or witty rhythm. The mood is fairly muddy throughout and doesn't really warrant repeated viewings. These gripes aside, the score by Philip Glass is good and the two leads do work well with each other. Kate: I'm worried about Terry.

• Alice S

  
  Gut-punches all the way through. Strong performances and such a moving, meditative script. I'm glad that with each of Woody's "conscionable killing" movies, the stakes get much higher and the payoffs subtly change. One of my favorite cinematic images is at the… More
  Gut-punches all the way through. Strong performances and such a moving, meditative script. I'm glad that with each of Woody's "conscionable killing" movies, the stakes get much higher and the payoffs subtly change. One of my favorite cinematic images is at the beginning when the brothers are on the dock - Terry stands in front of the gate while Ian stands behind, foreshadowing his greater amorality.

• Tim S

  
  Not at all Allen's best, even in his depressing mode, but I did enjoy it. This is one of the first times Colin Farrell didn't annoy the shit out of me (even affective in some scenes) and Wilkinson is always good (he could talk me into anything). As a bonus, you can see the… More
  Not at all Allen's best, even in his depressing mode, but I did enjoy it. This is one of the first times Colin Farrell didn't annoy the shit out of me (even affective in some scenes) and Wilkinson is always good (he could talk me into anything). As a bonus, you can see the chick who cried her way through an acceptance speech in a nice role, too. Overall, I think the thing that kept me in this sometimes boring film was the cinematography (Vilos of course) and the music which keeps the movie moving. I enjoy when Allen deals with the fate aspect, but think that this story was a little weighed down by the details.

• Chris G

  
  Cassandra's Dream is a dull journey of two brothers (Colin Farrell and Ewan MacGregor) who in a desperate attempt for money agree to assist their uncle (Tom Wilkinson) in eliminating a problem. I can understand why this is called Cassandra's Dream now. It's not the… More
  Cassandra's Dream is a dull journey of two brothers (Colin Farrell and Ewan MacGregor) who in a desperate attempt for money agree to assist their uncle (Tom Wilkinson) in eliminating a problem. I can understand why this is called Cassandra's Dream now. It's not the name of the boat, it's the fact that you'll be dreaming after the first ten minutes. That's sadly what happened to me and I had to rewind and try to stay awake for the remainder of the film. It's a clock watcher film. You'll find yourself looking at your watch or watching the countdown tick on your DVD player hoping that it will be over soon. I hoped for a magnificent closing 30 minutes and was met with more boredom. Woody Allen's a hit or miss guy and this one is one of those failures. If you need sleep, enjoy.

• jay n

  
  Good acting especially from Colin Farrell and a decent story, not great Woody Allen but a good entertaining film.

• Summer W

  
  Remember when Woddie Allen movies used to be funny and endearing? This one is not. I didn't feel sorry for either of the lead characters; only for everyone else who came into contact with them. The film could have trimmed the fat a bit as well.

• Jani H

  
  After watching 'Before the devil knows your dead', you couldn't stop to compare the two films. Lumets film became a masterpiece and this a let down. Woody Allen has lost his touch. The movie drags on and although there's good actors in it, there really isn't… More
  After watching 'Before the devil knows your dead', you couldn't stop to compare the two films. Lumets film became a masterpiece and this a let down. Woody Allen has lost his touch. The movie drags on and although there's good actors in it, there really isn't any heart in it. The actors doesn't do that good of a job either. Farrell is the only actor that gives his character a soul. The ending was the only real positive thing here. All in all, it remains as a minimalistic portrayal of tragic family loyalty.

• Martin B

  
  This is the second time I've watched a Woody Allen movie, and guess what? He still sucks! It's interesting to see Colin Farrell play against type, and both he and McGregor do their best, but they can only do so much to overcome Allen's bad writing and direction.… More
  This is the second time I've watched a Woody Allen movie, and guess what? He still sucks! It's interesting to see Colin Farrell play against type, and both he and McGregor do their best, but they can only do so much to overcome Allen's bad writing and direction. These actors deserve better.

• Manu G

  
  Really great movie! Woody Allen keeps making great movies. The film is 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

• Jennifer X

  
  Barely a Woody Allen trace to be found but the two sexy men more than make for it :) It's like the poor man's Before the Devil Knows You're Dead...with hotter actors.

• Jose Z

  
  Its a typical Woody Allen movie that involves death, money and betrayal but it is also kinda different because this film is one of the few Woody Allen's films that the leading roles are supported by men and not by women.The story about the tale of two brothers with serious… More
  Its a typical Woody Allen movie that involves death, money and betrayal but it is also kinda different because this film is one of the few Woody Allen's films that the leading roles are supported by men and not by women.The story about the tale of two brothers with serious financial woes. When a third party, their uncle, proposes to commit a crime is interesting yet slow and at some moments tiresome. It has some good drama and suspense, some involuntary comedy and an unexpected ending. The movie haves a good cast, Ewan McGregor and Collin Farrell both with very good performances and Tom Wilkinson with a good supporting. This is not the best Woody Allen movie, but definitely fulfills with the expectations.

• Walter M

  
  [font=Century Gothic]"Cassandra's Dream" starts with brothers Ian(Ewan McGregor) and Terry(Colin Farrell) buying a sailboat together. Ian helps out in his father's(John Benfield) struggling restaurant while dreaming of investing in hotels in California even… More
  [font=Century Gothic]"Cassandra's Dream" starts with brothers Ian(Ewan McGregor) and Terry(Colin Farrell) buying a sailboat together. Ian helps out in his father's(John Benfield) struggling restaurant while dreaming of investing in hotels in California even without the necessary funds. One day, while driving back from a day in the country with Lucy(Ashley Medekwe), he meets sultry with Angela(Hayley Atwell), an actress. Terry works as an auto mechanic and has his dreams fulfilled by a winning streak betting on dogs and poker but all good things must come to an end and he loses $90,000 in a single night. Luckily, wealthy Uncle Howard(Tom Wilkinson) is visiting soon which is the best and worst thing that can happen to the brothers.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Cassandra's Dream" is almost a good movie that tries too hard, hanging delicately on a very large contrivance. The cast overall is quite good, especially Colin Farrell. Even though Angela is never anything more than a cypher, Hayley Atwell still gives the viewer little idea as to why Ian is so smitten with her. The dialogue is just as iffy. The movie is about there being no easy path to success in life, so we do not need the characters saying this out loud. Letting the parents argue about anything else would express their misery just as easily. And it would have helped if Ian and Terry were more likable at the beginning at the film, deepening the tragedy. It is a shame because while Woody Allen repeats himself concerning the role chance plays in our lives and the possibility of a higher being, he comes very close to a political statement for once as he considers the moral ramifications of the taking of a human life[/font]

• Jeffrey M

  
  It doesn't have the same level of tension, mood, or sense of realism that Allen's best works (ie Match Point) have, but it's still an effective morality tale, and yet another exploration of human nature by Woody Allen. The story itself isn't entirely unfamiliar,… More
  It doesn't have the same level of tension, mood, or sense of realism that Allen's best works (ie Match Point) have, but it's still an effective morality tale, and yet another exploration of human nature by Woody Allen. The story itself isn't entirely unfamiliar, but is executed well and manages to stay absorbing throughout.

• Panta O

  
  This story of two brothers (Ewan McGregor, Colin Farrell) who are desperate to better their troubled lives shows Post-Noir tendencies of Woody Allen's latest directing directions. Someone can put this story of a chronic gambler in debt over his head, and his brother who's in… More
  This story of two brothers (Ewan McGregor, Colin Farrell) who are desperate to better their troubled lives shows Post-Noir tendencies of Woody Allen's latest directing directions. Someone can put this story of a chronic gambler in debt over his head, and his brother who's in love with a beautiful actress he has recently met, in the category of thrillers but for me is just another human behavioural study of the Master Allen (Woody).

• Mike T

  
  An immensely underappreciated work from a master filmmaker. This is a flawed venture, but intriguing and impressive as well. It doesn't have the perfectly charted plot arc of some of Allen's finest films, but the writing is still something to commend. Tight pacing, solid… More
  An immensely underappreciated work from a master filmmaker. This is a flawed venture, but intriguing and impressive as well. It doesn't have the perfectly charted plot arc of some of Allen's finest films, but the writing is still something to commend. Tight pacing, solid dialogue and well-illustrated characters are something that we've come to expect from his writing, and this film doesn't disappoint in any of those respects. The real triumph here is in the acting... particularly from Colin Farrell, who has been continually impressing me with intense, calculated performances in an interesting variety of projects. This is something I would recommend to Woody Allen fans without hesitation.

• Nicolas K

  
  If this was not a Woody Allen film it would have gone completely unnoticed.

• Philip P

  
  I liked the fact that Colin Farrell played the one with a conscious and Ewan McGregor played the bad boy/self-centered role bc they are stereotypically placed in the opposite roles. Im not big on Woody Allen films, I saw Match Point bc of the buzz around it, and the trailer for this… More
  I liked the fact that Colin Farrell played the one with a conscious and Ewan McGregor played the bad boy/self-centered role bc they are stereotypically placed in the opposite roles. Im not big on Woody Allen films, I saw Match Point bc of the buzz around it, and the trailer for this one just looked outstanding. The movie was enjoyable, if not a bit slow. Played more like a stage production than a film it seemed, but I enjoyed the self-conflict and the aspect of thinking about doing something and the difference in actually following through with it. I would reccomend, though it is not for everyones taste, but it did leave you wanting more when the credits rolled.

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