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.

---

Plot Keywords:

money | loan | loan shark | hotel | sailboat | 

---

Taglines:

Family is family. Blood is blood.

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

---

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

This is the first Woody Allen film to be released with a stereo soundtrack.

---

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.

---

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.

---

Connections

Featured in Close Encounters with Vilmos Zsigmond (2016)

---

Soundtracks

Giving You My Everything
Written by Michael Goldwasser, Josh Kessler & Marc Ferrari
Performed by Michael Goldwasser
Courtesy of Marc Ferrari/MasterSource

User Reviews

Woody Dostoyevsky

Crime and punishment in a modern, anonymous London. Two perfectly matched, mismatched brothers. Yachts that cannot afford, dreams of Hotels in California and an everyday of losing and losing. An opportunity with a huge catch attached to it and, of course, the inexorable is waiting. Crisp, fast dialogue. Excellent performances by Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrel as the brothers, an outstanding bit by Clare Higgins as the mother and the ubiquitous Tom Wilkinson as the rich uncle from America. There is something endearing about the dimness of the two brothers and we follow their predicament appalled and entertained. The ending feels a bit rushed. I longed to be part of those final instants just to catch a glimpse of that ultimate decision. A morality tale from Woody Allen, what next?