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

One of a handful Woody Allen directed films which feature a murder. The movies include: Match Point (2005), Cassandra's Dream (2007), Irrational Man (2015), Shadows and Fog (1991), Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993), and Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989). Moreover, death is a theme in both Deconstructing Harry (1997) and Love and Death (1975), both which feature the character of the Grim Reaper, as per the inspiration of Ingmar Bergman's "The Seventh Seal" [The Seventh Seal (1957)].

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Goofs

When distraught Terry comes to discuss murder at Ian's apartment, the whiskey bottle comes out twice after changing camera shot angle.

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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

Featured in Close Encounters with Vilmos Zsigmond (2016)

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Soundtracks

You've Got It
Written by Kemdi Amadiume & Regis Godon
Performed by Handcrafted Sol featuring Kemdi
Courtesy of Manhattan Production Music & Coco Machete Records

User Reviews

A most un-Woody-like Woody film

When I saw the names of Ewan McGregor, Colin Farrell, and Tom Wilkinson, I was excited about watching this film. Then I saw that Woody Allen had directed, and my expectations went down. I half-expected another whiny, self-absorbed mid-life crisis treatment, but I was very pleasantly surprised. If I hadn't seen his name, I would never have guessed Allen directed this movie.

McGregor and Farrell start out as two happy-go-lucky brothers living in London, but soon one gets deep into gambling debt and they both turn in desperation to their rich uncle. His solution is to ask his nephews to do something horrible for him in return for the bailout. Meanwhile both young men are attempting to have normal relationships with their significant others. The actual crime itself, and the very different effects it has on each brother, occupy the rest of the film. It's a dark film, nowhere near as glib as most Allen films, and the character development of the two brothers is excellent. Both McGregor and Farrell turn in excellent performances. It's nice to see Woody Allen step outside his traditional boundaries and come up with such an engaging film.