Wednesday, July 10, 2013
I don’t think anyone is going to argue when I say: I watch a lot of movies. Even with the obscene amount of movie watching that I do, I am bound to miss a majority of films every year. I try to keep myself aware of as many films as possible in a given year, but it is very difficult. Inevitably, many great films slip past me. Thankfully, due to the internet and my movie loving friends, I get some great suggestions about films that I should watch, though most of these suggestions come years after the release. So, I decided I would start a recurring article where I will talk about those hidden gems (which are sometimes not so hidden...) that I’m finally getting around to seeing. To start off this recurring article, which I’m calling “Late to the Party,” I decided to watch Woody Allen’s dark crime-drama, Cassandra’s Dream.
Now, I should probably start out by making a confession: I kind of hate Woody Allen. I know that seems blasphemous, but it’s true. I find Annie Hall to be completely unbearable. And don’t say I haven’t given him a chance. This guy has release a movie a year since 1982, so I’ve seen a fair share from his filmography like Scoop, Match Point, Vicky Christina Barcelona, Hannah and Her Sisters, and Midnight in Paris. Of those that I’ve seen, I’ve hated all but one, that one being Midnight in Paris. I don’t want this article to turn into why I hate Woody Allen, but I just thought I should preface the article with that point. That being said...
I really enjoyed Cassandra’s Dream. For those of you who don’t know, the film follows two brothers (Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell) who have money woes, so they approach their wealthy uncle (Tom Wilkinson) for a loan. He agrees to loan them the money, conditionally, if they agree to do something for him.
Cassandra’s Dream is a great character piece. The plot is pretty basic, but getting into the characters’ heads is what I really enjoyed. Farrell and McGregor give phenomenal performances in the leads, playing complete foils. I think the reason I liked this movie so much was their performances. Watching the two of them play off of each other was just beautiful.
I don’t know what it was about this movie, but I actually really enjoyed Allen’s visual style this go around. I thought that he worked with some really interesting camera angles, and did some original things. I don’t want to spoil anything, but my favorite scenes (visually) were the scene where they ask Wilkinson for money and the scene where Farrell and McGregor are on the boat (towards the end.) Maybe I just didn’t notice his potential in his soft, shitty comedies.
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While Woody Allen hasn’t had the best track record with me, I think that Cassandra’s Dream was an excellent drama. The script was weak at times, but I thought that the performances were excellent and the overall darkness of the film (especially the visuals) made for a thoroughly entertaining experience. If you like Woody Allen for his comedies, this will be a change for you, but if you are like me, then you might find this to be a happy surprise.
