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| Available at Amazon.com |
Woody Allen may be many things as a director, but the one thing he’s been lately is a chameleon. Unlike some of his counterparts, like Spielberg, Coppola, Scorsese and the late Sydney Pollack, Allen’s style as a director has changed radically since he was the king of the screwball comedies in the 1970s and ‘80s. With Match Point and Scoop, Allen is beginning to explore crime films in a more serious tone than at any other point in his career. While Scoop featured Allen in a supporting role as his usual neurotic self, it’s interesting to see his name on a film without his presence in it. Cassandra’s Dream is Allen’s latest, this time with another stellar cast.
Cassandra’s Dream focuses on two brothers. Ian (Ewan McGregor) has a girlfriend who likes the good life. Terry (Colin Farrell) has a gambling problem and needs money to pay off debts. Enter their rich uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson). He’ll gladly provide the money to the two, but for a price. For the murder of someone who could potentially ruin his career, he’ll gladly give them the money they need. After agreeing to it, the brothers have to ultimately live with the consequences of their deed and the film’s main focus is on the aftermath.
It’s an interesting film, for sure, and if it didn’t have Allen’s trademark introduction style one couldn’t tell it was an Allen film because it doesn’t have the sort of zaniness he’s known for. It has all the technical elements Allen brings behind the camera. The editing is minimal, using long takes of scenes and a methodical pace. This may not feel like a Woody Allen film, but it certainly looks the part. One could say the same of Match Point, as Dream mimics a lot of what that film did. In many ways it’s a derivative of that film, as Allen is settling into a style for his more serious works as he career winds down.
Ultimately it’s to the detriment of the film, though, as Cassandra’s Dream follows the same structures and character arcs for its cast. It has a higher profile cast than Match Point, as this is one of Allen’s better casts, but unfortunately it’s not one of Allen’s better scripts. From a man who has almost exclusively directed his own scripts, Allen has established a voice loved by generations, but sometimes an outside influence works wonders for a director. Allen’s intent on directing a morality tale about the things that men do is evident, but it’s in the execution where he misfires. For a director who centers on character development, he doesn’t give as much to his characters as he typically does. The film’s climatic finale comes off as a bit forced and uneven because of it.
If Woody Allen is looking for one final masterpiece to finish his career on, Cassandra’s Dream isn’t it. It’s a good film, but not near his best work.
Presented in a Dolby Digital 3.0 format and in a widescreen presentation, the DVD has a solid transfer. While the audio only takes advantage of the front three speakers on a system, its only really noticeable on a higher end system. The video is top notch. Allen uses a lot of great shots and the cinematography comes through wonderfully.
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There isn’t much to the DVD besides the film, which does have a good presentation, so the best recommendation would be for fans of Woody Allen only.
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The Weinstein Company presents Cassandra’s Dream. Written and Directed by Woody Allen. Starring Tom Wilkinson, Colin Farrell, Ewan McGregor. Running time: 108 minutes. Rated PG-13. Released on DVD: May 27, 2008. Available at Amazon.com
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