Allen must be desperate for a hit.  His last film SCOOP which he starred in flopped as did most of his recent films except for MATCH POINT.  Expectedly, Allen’s CASSANDRA DREAM follows closely to the formula of his last critical and commercial hit MATCH POINT. 

For one, Allen is not in it at all.  There is little humour in it and the film is a serious murder mystery like MATCH POINT.  Allen’s story of two brothers Terry (Colin Farrell) and Ian (Ewan McGregor) are in dire straits for money.  How far would one go to make ones dream come true?  In order to get financial aid from their rich but dodgy uncle (Tom Wilkinson), they have to commit murder.  Allen’s restraint on humour is evident with the only time he let loose being the segment where the three argue out the pros and cons of murder underneath a tree in a park.  Like in all of Allen’s films, CASSANDRA’S DREAM is stunningly shot, this one by Oscar winner Vilmos Zsigmond.  Music is by Philip Glass.  Allen must have allowed his actors to change the dialogue as there are quite a few British terms (e.g.  simpering) or phrases (you must be joking instead of you must be kidding) that are not used in North America .A Woody Allen film, whether a flop or not, is still an annual event to look forward to.  CASSANDRA’S DREAM is one of his better and more controlled works.