Cassandra's Dream (2007)

The tale of two brothers with serious financial woes. When a third party proposes they turn to crime, things go badly and the two become enemies.

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer:

Woody Allen

Stars:

Colin Farrell, Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ewan McGregor	...	Ian Blaine
Colin Farrell	...	Terry Blaine
Peter-Hugo Daly	...	Boat Owner (as Peter Hugo-Daly)
John Benfield	...	Brian Blaine
Clare Higgins	...	Dorothy Blaine
Ashley Madekwe	...	Lucy (as Ashley Medekwe)
Andrew Howard	...	Jerry
Hayley Atwell	...	Angela Stark
Sally Hawkins	...	Kate
Keith Smee	...	Terry's Track Mate
Stephen Noonan	...	Mel
Dan Carter	...	Fred
Richard Lintern	...	Director
Jennifer Higham	...	Helen
Lee Whitlock	...	Mike

Storyline

Two London brothers are hard-up for cash, and both have girls to look out for, too. When rich Uncle Howard comes to town and agrees to help them out, he admits his finances are under investigation, and he asks them to do him a favor and "take care of" an old business relation to keep his trouble under wraps - he says that they're family, and since he always takes care of them, the least they could do is help him out this once, as they're the only ones he can trust. The film follows their struggle with the immorality of this request and how each brother chooses to deal with it.

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Plot Keywords:

money | loan | loan shark | hotel | sailboat | 

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Taglines:

Family is family. Blood is blood.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, some sexual material and brief violence

Details

Official Sites:

TFM Distribution [France]

Country:

USA UK France

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 January 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Woody Allen Summer Project 2006

Filming Locations:

7 Barlby Road, Kensington, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$437,643, 20 January 2008, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$971,561, 17 February 2008

Company Credits

Production Co:

Iberville Productions, Virtual Studios, Wild Bunch

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (Stereo)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sally Hawkins dyed her hair blonde for the film.

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Goofs

The ashtray and the cigarette pack keep appearing and disappearing on the table when Terry is eating with his whole family in the beginning of the movie.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Ian: Ah, she's a beauty! I mean, look her - she's not new, but she looks new. He said the engine needed work.
Terry: I could do the engine.
Ian: I can't believe he's asking so little. It's practically a steal.
Terry: John Anderson said we could keep it at his marina - free of charge - at least for a year till his son comes back.
Ian: Ah, here he comes. Don't show you're too eager or he won't budge on the price, all right?
Terry: Right.

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Connections

References Jaws (1975)

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Soundtracks

Show Me the Way to Go Home
Written by Irving King (as Irving Kind) & Hal Swain
Performed by Colin Farrell & Ewan McGregor

User Reviews

Crossing the Line of Morality

In London, the loser brothers from a working-class family, Ian (Ewan McGregor) and Terry (Colin Farrell), buy a second-hand sailboat name Cassandra's Dream for their leisure. Ian poses of big shot and has big dreams, saving money to invest in two hotels in California while the unstable Terry is an alcoholic gambler addicted in pills and mechanic. When Terry loses a great amount in a card game, Ian lends his savings to pay part of the sum Terry owes to loan sharks. When their wealthy uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson) arrives in London coming from China, the brothers see the chance to borrow the money they need to quit the debt with the loan sharks and to invest in the hotel. However, Howard asks them to get rid of his former associated Martin Burns (Phil Davis) that is threatening him and his businesses. Ian and Terry have to decide whether they shall cross the line and help family or face the lack the money to resolve their issues.

"Cassandra's Dream" is a tragic thriller where the plot point is the moral decision of two simple but honest brothers whether they should cross the line, commit murder and live with that later. Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor have great performances and their characters are perfectly developed; Hayley Atwell is extremely gorgeous. However, Martin Burns is not well-developed, maybe intentionally by the writer and director Woody Allen, to keep a distance from the viewer the same way Ian and Terry do in the story. The tension in the plot is limited, actually prevailing the dramatic moral fight of Terry and Ian later in this engaging movie. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "O Sonho de Cassandra" ("The Cassandra's Dream")