O Sonho de Cassandra (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:

social climber | money | loan | loan shark | hotel | 

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Taglines:

How far will you go to make your dreams come true?

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

M/16

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Woody Allen first approached Philip Glass about doing the film's score, they had an initial meeting in which Glass played him a particularly ominous piece of music. Allen remarked that it was a very heavy section of music and that it would be perfect for establishing the dark mood of the film. Glass interjected with the fact that the music he'd just played was actually the love theme and he hadn't gotten round to writing anything ominous yet!

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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

References Bonnie e Clyde (1967)

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Soundtracks

Cassandra's Dream Soundtrack
Original soundtrack by Phillip Glass. Conducted and Produced by Michael Riesman

User Reviews

Nothing brilliant, but entertaining nonetheless

I saw this film yesterday, and went in with no idea what to expect. All I knew was it was a new Woody Allen movie with Collin Farrell, Ewan McGregor, and Tom Wilkinson, and supposedly rather dark.

Dark it was, but not overwhelmingly so. Farrell and McGregor play London brothers who are hard-up for cash, both with love interests that they're looking to take care of. Their rich Uncle Howard (Wilkinson) agrees to help them out as usual, if they do him a favor and "get rid of" a business relation who poses a threat to his finances. Despite many doubts, their situations are pressing, and the young men agree. The story then follows the different ways they deal with the factual immorality of what they have done.

It's not exactly a cheery film, but it isn't quite an intense, ominous drama, either, like the somewhat similar brothers-in-trouble based melodrama 'Before the Devil Knows You're Dead' that was recently released. In 'Dream,' there's a thin layer of dark humor that adds a refreshing twist here and there.

Everything was good on the acting end, though not mind-blowing; both McGregor and especially Farrell gave strong performances. The story, though rather predictable, is still enjoyable. Nice use of London and the British countryside on Allen's part. Overall, it's a solid film that will entertain, but that's about it.

Details

Official Sites:

TFM Distribution [France]

Country:

USA UK France

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 January 2008 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

O Sonho de Cassandra

Filming Locations:

7 Barlby Road, Kensington, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

GBP13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$361,901, 20 January 2008

Gross USA:

$973,018

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$22,687,639

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