Written by Woody Allen
Directed by Woody Allen
Starring: Colin Farrell, Ewan McGregor
I am not an especially large fan of Woody Allen. I admit he has talent. I admit he takes chances when many famous directors rarely stray from a certain path. And it is likely because he takes chances with his films that they are hit or miss with me. Still, it was a rainy gloomy day out (my favorite!) and thanks to a particularly rough day at the gym Saturday, my arms had sort of atrophied from the muscle pain into a perpetual C. Montgomery Burns stature. It would have been a sin to sit at home, steepling my fingers saying “excellent” without referring to a movie.
“Cassandra’s Dream” is playing at the new Valley Arclight, which is finally open in full, complete with a beautiful 20 foot wall of lit up movie posters. It is exactly as I imagined any rich person with taste would decorate their hallways. Still, in most other respects, it has the sound, picture, and feel of original recipe Arclight in Hollywood. But enough about the theatre.
“Cassandra’s Dream” is basically the story of two ambitious but limited brothers. Colin Farrell plays Terry the auto mechanic brother with a love of gambling and his steady girlfriend. Ewan McGregor is Ian the brother who runs his father’s restaurant but who has dreams of becoming a major player in business, and in particular, investing in hotels in California. Their lives are simple and hopeful, but are not really filled with much drama or intrigue. They are normal men who enter into an abnormal situation when their financial situations take a dramatic turn. I won’t spoil the plot but as the movie is billed as a thriller and it is accompanied by a musical score by Phillip Glass, one can figure out where the story is headed; nowhere good.
“Cassandra’s Dream” is as uncomfortable as most Allen films. Unlike with “Match Point” though, these characters seem less despicable and in a way, understandable. You spent countless moments shaking your head, wanting to yell, “NO!” at the screen. Credit definitely goes to Farrell and McGregor fro making Terry and Ian feel so real and believable. That said, I still got the distinct impression from both that they were acting on the stage instead of for a film. I don’t know if this was a directorial misfire or if it was a choice, but it plays a bit as overacting at times.
“Cassandra’s Dream” is playing at the new Valley Arclight, which is finally open in full, complete with a beautiful 20 foot wall of lit up movie posters. It is exactly as I imagined any rich person with taste would decorate their hallways. Still, in most other respects, it has the sound, picture, and feel of original recipe Arclight in Hollywood. But enough about the theatre.
“Cassandra’s Dream” is basically the story of two ambitious but limited brothers. Colin Farrell plays Terry the auto mechanic brother with a love of gambling and his steady girlfriend. Ewan McGregor is Ian the brother who runs his father’s restaurant but who has dreams of becoming a major player in business, and in particular, investing in hotels in California. Their lives are simple and hopeful, but are not really filled with much drama or intrigue. They are normal men who enter into an abnormal situation when their financial situations take a dramatic turn. I won’t spoil the plot but as the movie is billed as a thriller and it is accompanied by a musical score by Phillip Glass, one can figure out where the story is headed; nowhere good.
“Cassandra’s Dream” is as uncomfortable as most Allen films. Unlike with “Match Point” though, these characters seem less despicable and in a way, understandable. You spent countless moments shaking your head, wanting to yell, “NO!” at the screen. Credit definitely goes to Farrell and McGregor fro making Terry and Ian feel so real and believable. That said, I still got the distinct impression from both that they were acting on the stage instead of for a film. I don’t know if this was a directorial misfire or if it was a choice, but it plays a bit as overacting at times.
Still, by the end I could buy into the characters, even if they still come across as Farrell and McGregor playing those characters. This was a shame, but perhaps unavoidable. For Allen, although he has pulled wonderful performances out of his actors, his main focus is always the written word. Actors know this when they work with him. The danger for an actor though it that their character may be enjoyable, but if they don’t have the acting chops to pull it off, one can only see what a neat character that was played by such and such rather than what an amazing character that was on screen.
It is a subtle difference when the writing is good, but can be disastrous if the script isn’t there. In this case, the writing was good (not great – no remarkable, memorable dialogue) but that difference definitely holds the movie back from becoming more. I thought the story was rather fascinating. It reminded me of countless episodes of “Cold Case Files” or “Forensic Files” from TV. As a fan of those shows it made me want to be more vocal with the characters than one probably should be in a theatre. Still, this wasn’t as difficult to watch as “Match Point” or similar movies by other directors like “The Ice Harvest.” Not that those movies are similar in plot, just similar in one’s reaction as an audience member. Sometimes films can make you squirm in your seat, and Allen succeeds in provoking this reaction here.
Though you feel every bit of the 2 hours and 50 minutes here, it still manages to move along. I’m not sure how a movie can feel simultaneously long and not have any lulls, but Allen manages it. This is a good story of what man is capable of in life when even he does not know himself. And it is a good story of the lengths a man can go to delude himself about what he is capable of doing. Mostly, it is just a good film and worth a look see.
Though you feel every bit of the 2 hours and 50 minutes here, it still manages to move along. I’m not sure how a movie can feel simultaneously long and not have any lulls, but Allen manages it. This is a good story of what man is capable of in life when even he does not know himself. And it is a good story of the lengths a man can go to delude himself about what he is capable of doing. Mostly, it is just a good film and worth a look see.
Nice writing indeed...
This is an excellent review.