Cassandra's Dream

Cassandra's Dream (Woody Allen, 2007)

From Woody Allen, a monument in the history of filmmaking with 46 moving pictures credited to his IMDb resume, Cassandra's Dream is in the continuity of his 'th youth of Match Point more than of his trademark comedies. To many cinephiles, Allen's comedies are annoying and look all the same. In my opinion he had one of the most interesting careers of the 1970's and 1980's together. Nowadays, Allen reminds me of the late Fellini that was a caricature of himself. Anyway, as I am a fan of his work I will continue to follow his films and discover what tricks he still can pull out of his hat. For those who are acquainted to Woody Allen you all know that he has a bag or a hat full of short stories/ideas for film that he wrote and picks one up and make a film with. Well, even if his You Will Meet Dark Tall Stranger wasn't that good we can't blame the man for not trying, with a ratio of one film per year, he has lots to offer. Let's just see if he still has juice in this fruit...

Cassandra's Dream is a modern day adaptation of the novel Brothers Karamazov by Dostoievski. The plot is well written even if it's not the twist of the century. Like Dostoievski, Allen likes to play with the motivations of the characters to commit the unthinkable. The story has this classic and sober tone to it and we feel that this film could have been made any other time in the history of Cinema and it would have worked. The main problem with the plot it's that it's not involving an issue that could have interested a wider audience. Compared to a more modern movie made by a director of approx the same age of Woody Allen, Sydney Lumet's Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Cassandra's Dream feels a little bland.

The brothers pictured in Cassandra's Dream: Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell are has usual very good. As I've read in some interview with Allen by Eric Lax, Allen never really directs the actors. But in this case this lack of stage directions may have created the right chemistry between the two actors. I appreciated both their presences and both kind of measure how their characters had to deal with moral issues. A regular supporting actor, Tom Wilkinson gives a memorable performance as the crooked uncle.

On the visual side, Cassandra's Dream looks like a British film with its clouded exteriors and dark colors.

For a Woody Allen, it's maybe a little over serious or too dramatic... However, I'll continue to watch Allen's films because I think he has some interesting ideas but I shouldn't think of Manhattan or Crimes and Misdemeanors because I'll regret those great films and this amazing period in his career...