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Cassandra's Dream

Written by Edward Moran

 

This is not your typical angst-ridden Woody Allen flick that begs to be set in the Upper West Side, the bleak nerve center of Manhattan neuroticism. Instead of bullets over Broadway and other assorted
crimes and misdemeanors we have a tale of two siblings and the boat they purchase after making a killing in the dog races on a courser named "Cassandra's Dream." As much as dog and boat embody their innocent aspirations, Cassandra spells trouble, for that is the name of the Greek goddess whose fate it is to be the bearer of bad news and somber events--unlike her more revered sister, the mighty Aphrodite.

The bad news here imparted is certainly familiar to fans of Greek myth: it's all about sibling rivalry and how two brothers (played by Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrel) can end up in Hades via old-fashioned tragic flaws like gambling or womanizing, to say nothing of overweening pride. The "other woman" here is Angela (Hayley Atwell), an actress rescued by Ian when her car breaks down on a remote road. The fact that Ian is driving a car borrowed from his brother's garage--Terry is a sports-car mechanic--underscores the fact that both brothers are ultimately implicated in the unraveling narrative.

Add to the mix the brothers' Uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson), and you have the perfect Greek chorus in the person of a successful expatriate who, as a California businessman, is sufficiently removed from the family dynamic to comment dispassionately on his nephews' flaws.

There are serious matters under scrutiny here, but the overall tone is not heavy, even with Philip Glass's "dark and ominous" score, to quote the producers. Yes, dark and ominous things are on the horizon, but it's also the kind of film where the audience can recline like a pantheon of Greek gods chuckling over the foibles of the mortals they oversee. Though director Allen doesn't regard it as a comic movie, "Cassandra's Dream" brings a shower of smiles along with the gloom.

Director Woody Allen
Written by Woody Allen
Director of Photography Vilmos Zsigmond
Editor Alisa Lepselter
Casting Juliet Tayl
Producer Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum, Gareth Wiley
Production Designer Jill Taylor
Released by The Weinstein Company
Running Time 1 Hour 48minutes

Cast: Colin Farrel(Terry)
Ewan McGregor(Ian)
Tom Wilkinson(Howard)
Haley Atwell(Angela)
Sally Hawkins(Kate)
MarkUmbers(Eisley)
John Benfield(Father)
Phil Davis(Martin Burns)