Cassandra's Dream [2007]

Cassandra’s Dream, one of Woody’s most relentlessly dark and nihilistic films and his third work in the UK on the trot, formed an apt companion piece to the brilliant Match Point for their disturbing examination of guilt and moral quagmire in a godless universe using the framework of a crime thriller – a theme he first tried with the masterful Crimes & Misdemeanors, and largely bereft of his customary dose of humour. Though this wasn’t Woody at his most quintessential, it reinforced his ability at tightly bound narratives, and was reminiscent of Lumet’s final film made in the same year, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. Siblings and sons of the owner of a modest eatery, Ian (Ewan McGregor), cold, ambitious, intelligent and socially respectable, and Terry (Colin Farrell), nervy, impulsive, weak, addicted to gambling and alcohol, and in a stable relationship, despite their divergent natures, are close to each other. When Terry’s winning streak comes to a screeching halt, he ends up owing huge money to ruthless loan-sharks; meanwhile, Ian’s desire to jump up the social ladder is further intensified when he falls head over heels with Angela (Hayley Atwell), a beautiful, alluring and promiscuous model and wannabe actress. And so they approach their wealthy uncle (Tom Wilkinson) for money; however, as they soon realize, nothing comes for free in this world, and the price they end up paying tears their lives apart both psychologically and physically. Both McGregor and Farrell gave fine performances, as did the supporting cast. Despite the strong reliance on a dialogue-heavy script, it managed to be engaging and unsettling right till the expectedly tragic finale.

Director: Woody Allen
Genre: Thriller/Crime Thriller
Language: English
Country: UK