Cassandra's Dream Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
How far will you go to make your dreams come true?
Family is family. Blood is blood.
Two London brothers (McGregor and Farrell) are hard-up for cash, and both have girls to look out for, too (Atwell and Williams). When rich Uncle Howard (Wilkinson) comes to town and agrees to help them out, he admits his finances are under investigation, and he asks them to do him a favor and "take care of" an old business relation to keep his trouble under wraps - he says that they're family, and since he always takes care of them, the least they could do is help him out this once, as they're the only ones he can trust. The film follows their struggle with the immorality of this request and how each brother chooses to deal with it.
| John Benfield | Mr. Blaine |
| Jim Carter | Garage Boss |
| Philip Davis | Martin Burns |
| Kenneth Edelson | Screen Writer |
| Colin Farrell | Terry |
| Andrew Howard | |
| Ewan McGregor | Ian |
| Mark Umbers | Eisley |
| Tom Wilkinson | Howard |
| Hayley Atwell | Angela Stark |
| Sally Hawkins | Kate |
| Clare Higgins | Mrs. Blaine |
| Tamzin Outhwaite |
| Woody Allen |
7.70 out of 10 (961 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Leopold-and-Loeb re-visited
posted on 04 Aug 2009Whenever he turns to drama, Woody Allen always seems to wind up channeling either Ingmar Bergman ("Interiors," "September") or Fyodor Dostoevsky ("Crimes and Misdemeanors," "Match Point"). "Cassandra's Dream" finds him in one of his Dostoevsky moods (with traces of Hitchcock thrown in for good measure), once again making the case that it is both impossibly difficult and ridiculously easy for the common man to engage in cold-blooded murder.Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor star as two working-class brothers who have fallen onto financial hard times (one is a compulsive gambler, the other a frustrated cipher with dreams of rising above his station both economically and romantically). Desperate for some immediate cash, they reluctantly agree to knock off one of their wealthy uncle's business rivals who has some secret knowledge that, if it ever got out, could send the old man up the river for a very long time.Set in London, "Cassandra's Dream" is not as sharp and cutting as some of Allen's previous works in this genre, but thanks to strong performances by Farrell, McGregor and Tom Wilkinson as the uncle, this latest update of the Loepold-and-Loeb story manages to keep our interest most of the way. The themes, which have been played out in literature and movies for what seems like eons now, understandably feel a trifle old-hat at this late stage in the game, but Allen's generally sharp dialogue, canny insights into human nature, and smooth direction help to freshen them up a bit.It may not be Allen at his finest, but the ancillary rewards of script and acting make the film well worth seeing.
Cassandra's Dream is Everyone Else's Nightmare
posted on 04 Aug 2009Just when you thought Woody Allen had redeemed himself and ventured into some exciting new territory with "Match Point", we get a ridiculously-written, modernization of a Greek tragedy called "Cassandra's Dream".Everything about the film seems stale. I felt bad that actors the level of Ewan MacGregor and Colin Farrell, who I'm sure were excited and revved up to be working with the legendary Woody Allen, instead ended up in this turd of a film.Don't expect any surprises. It's strictly exactly-as-you'd-expect it, Screen writing 101.The Philip Glass music is even bland. There are many long passages without any music at all, so I assume the conductor and musicians fell asleep in this dull, dull, dull film.I'm a huge fan of Woody when he's working with a good script (e.g. The Purple Rose Of Cairo or Sweet and Low). This film has all the markings of "Hey, Soon Yi, let's hang around in London a few more months..I can quickly throw something else together."The existential ramblings of Colin and Ewan at the end of this film will make you groan out loud. "The whole of human life is about violence...You're just shaken up, Terry because you're facing your own nature"...Makes you long for the Woody that once wrote A. If all men are mortal and B. If Socrates is a man..then C. All men are Socrates.That was writing. To paraphrase Truman Capote....Cassandra's Dream isn't writing...it's typing.
Woody Allen at his best!
posted on 13 Jul 2009If you loved Match Point, you will definitely love this one! The directing and story is terrific. Ferrel and McGregor do an amazing job. Don't listen to the negative reviews from people who can't enjoy a movie unless it's filled with nothing but car chases, explosions, and gun fights. This is a real down to earth story of two brothers wanting more for themselves who get caught up in bad things and everything spirals out of control. Kept my interest all the way through! Everyone in the cast was terrific and if you're a fan of Woody then you'll definitely enjoy this movie. Set in London like Match Point and has a similar tone although very different. Woody Allen at this best!!!
Indecent proposal
posted on 11 Jul 2009Two brothers, Ian and Terry, love to sail. The purchase of the pleasure craft in which they are seen cruising, fulfills their passion for the sea. Little prepares them for the sort of Greek tragedy they will become embroiled in, when things go haywire. Ian is an ambitious man who sees himself with a future in real estate. Terry, on the other hand, is a happy man as long as he is fixing cars at the garage where he works, or at the gambling table, where he loves to try his luck.The arrival of their uncle, Howard, a rich man who lives in Los Angeles, changes their lives completely. He proposes to their nephews to help him eliminate a man who is about to accuse him of illegal activities in his business and he faces a probable period in jail. What to do? Terry wants no part in the matter. Ian, who sees the opportunity for getting ahead, has no problem in convincing his brother to help in eliminating this person.The dynamic in the relationship between the brothers changes completely. Terry, whose conscience begins bothering him, tells his brother he will confess his participation. Ian, who sees himself closer to the realization of his dreams, has another thing in mind. When we last see the brothers together is in the boat that was supposed to be a bond between them. In an ironic twist, like in all Greek tragedies, their lives are changed completely.Woody Allen has been working in Europe lately to amazing results. This film doesn't quite compare with "Match Point", one of his best films lately, but it is never dull, or boring. Thankfully, he has stayed behind the camera this time and it is an improvement when he is completely in control of what he wanted to achieve. He wanted to explore how siblings relations can end in tragedy by presenting two men that having come from the same background can go in different directions.We liked Colin Farrell in the role of Terry. He gives a restrained performance making us care for this gentle soul that is thrown into a complicated situation just to please his brother. Ewan McGregor is not quite as convincing though. It could be the fact one feels no sympathy for his boundless ambition. Tom Wilkinson, a good character actor, doesn't have much to do. Hayley Atwell makes a beautiful Angela and Sally Hawkins has some good moments in the film.Somehow the music by Phillip Glass doesn't add anything to the story. He has dome much better in other films. Vilmos Zsigmond's camera work captures the atmosphere of the present day London.
offers a lot of promise, but presents very little payoff
posted on 23 Jun 2009Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell play gambling-addicted, London-based brothers in "Cassandra's Dream", a movie where the title bears very little foundation to anything in the actual story written and directed by Woody Allen. And the last thing I want to do is knock a movie made by a director as beloved as Woody Allen. But I unfortunately cannot recommend "Cassandra's Dreams" on any grounds, even for fans of the director's work, because of its flimsy and wooden story, lack of balance, poor pacing, and failure at providing us with satisfactory payment for our attention.The story is as old as the hills. Two brothers (McGregor and Farrell) fall into debt and seek monetary assistance from their rich uncle, played by the great Tom Wilkinson, whose performance is really the best thing in the movie. Wilkinson agrees to help them with their financial problems on one condition. They have to do him a favor. And that favor is: bump off a business associate that's trying to put him behind bars. What follows is the typical, how-can-we-do-it, will-we-get-away-with-it, how-can-we-live-afterward scenario. Again, as old as the hills, but with an elaborate script, this might have worked out and proved exceptional like some of Allen's previous works.Basically, that's the whole problem of "Cassandra's Dream". It offers a lot of promise but fails to pay up on it. The screenplay is flimsy at best, the editing is choppy and a mixed bag, the suspense is literally nonexistent, there are many scenes that seem out of place and have no purpose, there are too many unimportant subplots that fail to hold interest, and the ending comes up so quickly we are left with a certain level of frustration that adds to our surmounting disappointment.There were some moments to this film that I liked. Most of them pertained to Tom Wilkinson and his fantastic performance. But even he can't score the movie a recommendation. And Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell have most certainly found themselves in better films with better screenplays. But I liked these actors and I liked the basic plot of the movie they were in. The former worked; the latter didn't. Take these three actors and put them in a better film and I can easily recommend it. But ultimately, as much as I hate to admit it, "Cassandra's Dream" is little more than just a surprisingly sloppy mess, not a disaster or a particularly terrible motion picture, but not a good one either.
Woody Allen Has Found a New Muse
posted on 23 Jun 2009First with "Match Point" and now with "Cassandra's Dream," Woody Allen has carved a new niche for himself as director of juicy little British thrillers, like something right out of Patricia Highsmith. "Cassandra's Dream" is not as good as "Match Point," but that's not to say it isn't a good movie. It's quite well done; the story bears remarkable resemblance to another film that came out last year, Sidney Lumet's "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," but it doesn't feel like a rip-off. Just as in "Match Point," which was an updated version of "An American Tragedy," Allen takes familiar material but makes it feel original.Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell play brothers, one sharp and ambitious, the other dumber and nicer, who find themselves in need of financial help from their jet-setting uncle (played by Tom Wilkinson in a couple of brief scenes), and agree to murder the chief witness in an upcoming investigation into the uncle's business practices in exchange for his assistance. The requisite pangs of guilt ensue, the brothers' worlds start to unravel, and everything ends in a tragic but inevitable conclusion. The film is full of the same preoccupations of Greek tragedy -- fate, guilt and hubris -- that Allen frequently examines in his comedies, and that more than anything identify this as a Woody Allen movie.The acting is quite good, and even if the writing doesn't offer anything profound, Allen knows enough about the basics of dramatic narrative to ensure that everything is developed well and logically. I wasn't on the edge of my seat the way I was while watching "Match Point," but I was pretty engrossed.Grade: A-
Starts off well, but the final act is unconvincing
posted on 09 Jun 2009I had a strange reaction to this film. Much like most Woody Allen fans, I don't expect much from him nowadays. That leads some to be easily impressed by a film by Vicky Cristina Barcelona. I wasn't, though, when I saw it last weekend. The good reviews unfortunately had gotten my hopes up, and I even threw his previous film, Cassandra's Dream, up on my Netflix queue. After watching VCB, though, I immediately lost interest in Cassandra's Dream. But I forced myself to watch it anyway. The thing was, at first my low expectations were a great asset. I was very much enjoying it. It was far from perfect; Allen overexplained his themes and made some stuff way too obvious. But it was a good film about normal people who are forced into an impossible situation. The story in short: brothers Ewan MacGregor and Colin Farrell are small-timers who get in over their heads, with a girl and with gambling debts respectively. They beg their rich uncle (Tom Wilkinson, pretty much wasted) to help them out financially, and he agrees. He asks a small favor, though: murder a troublemaker who might inform against him. The film does a great job with the build-up to the murder. How would normal people feel in this situation? Both MacGregor and Farrell are excellent (though unconvincing as brothers) in this part of the movie. Then, after they go through with it, the film deals with their guilt. This part of the film, I felt, Woody had not thought through as much. MacGregor's performance kind of falls apart as the character acts unconvincingly. The climax that follows is extraordinarily weak. So the enjoyment I was getting out of it at first was completely quashed by the end.
Don't listen to 'audiowells': this film is truly Terrible, Awful, painful...
posted on 01 Jun 2009Rebuttal by Mr Michael Henry to 'audiowells' review of Cassandra's Dream. 1st August, 2008.Dear Sir, I fear you may have had your eyes closed the entire film. Mr Woody Allen has died and left the camera running.Below is a quote from one of the actors appearing in the movie: "Most of the scenes play out in a single frame," McGregor explained. "There is a lot of dialogue. There are not many takes – it's wonderful. You get home at 4.30pm in the afternoon. You can have a life." (actual quote from Venice Film Festival after premiere screening in 2007)Now if that isn't an admission of lazy film-making... I don't know what is... I would have rather worked to 8pm every night and got a Better Performance! The acting was truly abysmal. Here's a bunch of decent actors on autopilot, reading directly from a poorly written script... nothing rang true. It was all bad acting... All of it.The cinematography was dreadful. Stilted shots, far too objective and detached for a story centred around internal conflict. Virtually not a closeup in the entire film. Very little depth to any of the shots. Vilmos Zsigmond I am afraid has also died on the job.But Mr Allen. Please stop making films. Seriously. Your thematic concerns were rammed down our throats at every possible moment... we get it - its a Greek friggen tragedy!'... Many scenes were repeated and repeated... How many time do we have to hear Ewan McGreggor tell his father he's going to leave the family business... and how beautiful his new girlfriend is... ON and ON and ON... Jesus someone stop him.No tension... Poor dialogue... 20mins too long... We seriously destroyed the DVD disc after watching it... to prevent another human being for having to sit through that ordeal and sacrifice just under 2 hours of their precious lives.Ah... that felt good to get off my chest.Now I feel clean again.
The third UK film
posted on 22 May 2009Although the weakest in the UK trilogy, the film is still a worthy effort in tragic film-making. For some reason it doesn't seem to reach it's full potential, I'm not convinced by the naturalistic cinematography ( a bit to sober and murky ), although it conveyed a sense of realism it made it difficult to follow expressions in the characters (specially because Allen uses few close ups - you tend to need more light to see detail in the wide shots), the ending is a bit abrupt, and the build up isn't as effective as it is in "Match point". Sadly the trilogy ends with a whimper instead of a bang, but it's still Woody Allen at his best in many regards...
Woody's Foggy Bottom Breakdown
posted on 02 May 2009Does anyone believe Woody actually watched the finished Cassandra's Dream and said, 'Great. Let's go with it.'? One must believe he is being held captive somewhere and that trash-orists are responsible for this atrocity.For lifelong Woody sycophants, it's painful to watch such a master bait his adoring audience into theaters with dishwater. Except for the fetching marquee poster that lured me into this last-in-the-series rip-off, there wasn't one redeeming morsel of the classic Allen psyche. The genius that could have gilded these expectant young actors' credits never showed up. Instead, they all grayscaled into the dull, overcast sky that earmarked the hyper-predictable plot and soggy setting. While those are usually the straws that Woody spins into Zeitgeist gold, it became distressingly clear that there would be little new, or old, inspiration found in this one.Even the editing was grotesque in this slam-dunked, advance-filler. There were speed bump splices that jumbled the viewer with same-day to some-weeks-later time warps. Only the original Jack-In-The-Beanstalk cartoon could achieve such segue. In this utterly careless, one-take, drive-by-shooting, I had a spasm of wakefulness and witnessed a bumbled and repeated line that was pitifully left un-cut in Uncle Howards's panic scene. Tom Wilkinson, to be sure, cannot be very happy about it. Only the mike boom was missing in the final cuts.Really, Woody, get somebody to locate your jocular strap and either put in back on or hang it up. But don't let it get kicked around on the ground.
Crossing the Line of Morality
posted on 26 Apr 2009In London, the loser brothers from a working-class family, Ian (Ewan McGregor) and Terry (Colin Farrell), buy a second-hand sailboat name Cassandra's Dream for their leisure. Ian poses of big shot and has big dreams, saving money to invest in two hotels in California while the unstable Terry is an alcoholic gambler addicted in pills and mechanic. When Terry loses a great amount in a card game, Ian lends his savings to pay part of the sum Terry owes to loan sharks. When their wealthy uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson) arrives in London coming from China, the brothers see the chance to borrow the money they need to quit the debt with the loan sharks and to invest in the hotel. However, Howard asks them to get rid of his former associated Martin Burns (Phil Davis) that is threatening him and his businesses. Ian and Terry have to decide whether they shall cross the line and help family or face the lack the money to resolve their issues."Cassandra's Dream" is a tragic thriller where the plot point is the moral decision of two simple but honest brothers whether they should cross the line, commit murder and live with that later. Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor have great performances and their characters are perfectly developed; Hayley Atwell is extremely gorgeous. However, Martin Burns is not well-developed, maybe intentionally by the writer and director Woody Allen, to keep a distance from the viewer the same way Ian and Terry do in the story. The tension in the plot is limited, actually prevailing the dramatic moral fight of Terry and Ian later in this engaging movie. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "O Sonho de Cassandra" ("The Cassandra's Dream")
Not your average Woody Allen film!
posted on 24 Apr 2009This is a very enjoyable film, but I'd never guess it's been directed by Woody Allen, that's for sure! It would be more suited to the likes of Coen brothers, so don't expect a comedy. Having said that, for anyone who enjoys film noir this is a film you won't want to miss.Once you get past the fact that two "brothers" speak with totally different accents, you can start getting drawn into the film. I guess most Americans won't be able to hear the difference so who cares.Unlike any of Allen's previous work, this film is quite dark and it will soon suck you in. Not something you'd want to watch when you're down and looking for a Woody Allen comedy to pick you up!
One of the best thrillers!
posted on 22 Apr 2009Set in contemporary London, "Cassandra's Dream" is the story of two brothers, Ian (Ewan) & Terry (Farrell), who are desperate to better their troubled lives, hard-up for cash, and both have girls to look out for, too. One is a young man who is madly in love with a beautiful actress he recently met, & the other is a chronic gambler in debt over his head. When rich Uncle Howard comes to town and agrees to help them out, he admits his finances are under investigation, and he asks them to do him a favor and "take care of" an old business relation to keep his trouble under wraps - he says that they're family, and since he always takes care of them, the least they could do is help him out this once, as they're the only ones he can trust. The film follows their struggle with the immorality of this request and how each brother chooses to deal with it. Their lives gradually become entangled into a sinister situation with intense results. Woody Allen, finishing up his 'London Tragedies', with the last of its part, possibly the best. 'Cassandra's Dream' scores high in every field, whether its the performances or the direction, 'Cassandra's Dream' is beyond many movies. Woody Allen not only makes this amazing thriller a family viewing, but he also makes the movie an ultimate experience. Not a single slang have been used & no erotic sequences, an absolute delight for the whole family. The performances are amazing by each & everyone, Ewan looks amazing & also giving one of his finest performance. The same goes for Farrell, he yet again gives a splendid performance. Tom Wilkinson is perfect. Woody Allen gives an ultimate & a flawless direction. Not even a single second you will feel bored. The presentation of the movie has been done in a classical way, the background music suits with the mood of the movie. The amazing screenplay gives some of the sharpest twists & turns. With superb performances from McGregor, Farrell & Wilkinson, this one is purely one of the best & finest thrillers to be out in recent years. Masterpiece.
Greek tragedy
posted on 12 Apr 2009This is wonderfully made, contemporary Greek tragedy (but without the chorus). Throughout the film we are told that a disaster is looming, yet the characters are incapable of escaping their fate. The two brothers are required by Allen to play out their destiny, while the other characters form the vehicle and structure to support the inevitable. Watching the unfolding calamity is absorbing because we do not know in advance exactly how it will happen--only that it will. I suspect American audiences who do not care for this film were expecting some other sort of dramatic convention. Viewers with a strong sense of divine retribution for sin may find this film strangely satisfying.
Greek tragedy indeed
posted on 29 Mar 2009The trouble with being great is the problem of endurance. Woody Allen has been great. However, his weakened muscle tone is evident in "Cassandra's Dream". It plods. And it plods. And...well, you get the idea. Unlike Mr. Allen's snappy Manhattan dramas, this moral tale has a very central and rather boring theme. Ewan McGregor, Colin Farrell and Tom Wilkinson drone and stumble over a rather poor script. No memorable lines here. Lots of hand-wringing. If Colin Farrell's character repeated his particular whining chorus one more time, I would have nodded off. As it was, I was struggling to stay awake. This is not a modern Shakespeare's revelation of Greek tragedy. It is a boring and joyless exercise for Mr. Allen's die-hard fans. It would have been nice if Mr. Allen had worked out a little harder himself.
Woody's film making is top form, his script isn't
posted on 27 Mar 2009Woody Allen's dark drama of two brothers who get in over their heads financially and in turning to an uncle for help find themselves going down a road they will undoubtedly regret. Well acted and well made movie by the Woodman gets lost about half way in as the film parallels some of the darkness of his earlier films. Even allowing for the self borrowing the plot only goes so far before it begins to skid. Ya know I can't really explain it with out saying too much. I will say that the end left me cold, not so much for what it was, rather for how it was done. Ultimately I think I'm mostly annoyed since Woody Allen has hit a level of film craftsmanship with the last bunch of films that would be the equal to Clint Eastwood's current run except that Woody can't get manage to write a script that works all the way through.
Another British Allen Movie & it's not very good ;o(
posted on 11 Mar 2009Cassandra's Dream - (Released in the UK in 2008) Another Woody Allen Film filmed and set in the UK – this seems to becoming quite a habit for the New Yorker. However I fear the uninspiring British Film industry might be rubbing off on him. While great Hollywood movies can be made in the UK (The Dark Knight – 2008) – so often seems to be the case that purely British Movies seem to fall flat on the face and inspire no one (last one I can think of St. Trinians – Garbage). While this is no where near as bad as St. Trianians and it should no way be compared if we're being realistic Cassandra's Dream isn't great.I approached the film with optimism as you always have hope from a Woody Allen movie as well as for the fact that it had Ewan McGregor and the very inconsistent Colin Farrel. I'm not sure what happened here by Allen seems to of pulled a Rogue Trader (1999) Performance out of McGregor – meaning very wooden and in parts not very good. While Colin Farrel shows signs of flare and of something better the performance really isn't anything that shines. As soon as you realise where this film is headed you won't believe how predictable the story pans out and my word does it pan out slowly – the only slight surprise in the scheme of things is the redeeming ending however many will of seen this coming. What this film does get right are the nice choices in locations and a fairly strong performance from Sally Hawkins who plays Colin Farrel's Girlfriend while Tom Wilkinson in the odd scene who plays Uncle Mike puts in a fairly consistent performance.All in all I highly doubt you will be overtly impressed. 4 out of 10.
Crimes and Misdemeanors did it better
posted on 05 Mar 2009Woody already brilliantly explored the territory of morality, murder and conscience, in Crimes and Misdemeanors. This film-Crimes- is one of his best, in my opinion, and actually one of my favorite films of all time.Why make a movie dealing with the same themes-only set it in another country; extract mediocre performances from mediocre actors (aside from Tom Wilkinson, who is always great); and inspire absolutely no sympathy for the main characters for the bind they've gotten themselves into? Crimes was set in New York, and nobody does New York better than Woody. He tries to capture the feeling of other places, but it just falls flat. Crimes presented masterly performances all around, especially by Martin Landau and Anjelica Houston. And the viewer finds compassion for the flawed character Landau plays-in spite of his philandering, which allows this crisis to exist in the first place (as his mistress threatens to expose their affair to his wife), and in spite of the tragic choices he makes to extricate himself.And to boot, somehow Woody merges in this movie both a comic storyline, and a love story, and they all work. (Alan Alda as egomaniacal producer: "If it BENDS, it's funny. If it BREAKS, it's not").Anyway wish Woody would make another New York movie again, one that has even 1/10th of the masterly brilliance he's shown before
An interesting take on a wealth-obsessed London
posted on 27 Feb 2009Almost as if in rebellion against some of his more critically acclaimed work, Woody Allen has pieced together what could have potentially been an enthralling narrative with a static script, stage-play performances and unimaginative camera work.Whilst the plot itself does have some compelling intricacies – commentaries on the damaging effect of family, the ironies of life and fate, the deception of stereotypes and of course the greed and lifestyle lust around which the story centres – the film itself does little to add emphasis to any of these, and the overall result is rather weak.Perfectly routed against a foreboding London backdrop, it tells the story of two brothers who allow themselves to be cajoled into a world of deception, blackmail and murder, and who deal with the consequences in very different ways. The film is dark and pessimistic, utilising the Britishness of its setting to its advantages and exposing the characters' weaknesses without mercy.Ewan McGregor is uninspiring and sadly for an actor with a reputable catalogue of films under his belt, little more can be said about him in this instance. Despite the occasional accent slip, Colin Farrell gives an earnest, emotional performance, documenting his recent climb to a sturdy position as one of the finest international actors working today. All in all, the film feels like a rush job. Perhaps the intention was for a stylised melodrama, but if this is the case it wasn't quite pulled off. The continuity is poor, the editing sloppy, and the script clumsy and most scenes feel like they were wrapped in one take. Not a great one for Woody Allen's Hall of Fame, but an interesting watch nevertheless.
Show Me the Way to Go Home
posted on 06 Aug 2009Greetings again from the darkness. Once so faithful to filming in NYC, Woody Allen continues his love fest with England. Although not quite at the level of "Scoop" or especially "Match Point", this one is still entertaining and has more than a few classic Woody moments.The acting in this one is top notch. Ewan McGregor and Collin Farrell are working class brothers who just can't seem to get things right in their lives. Farrell plays the weaker one who has more than a small gambling and drinking problem despite the dedication of Sally Hawkins (in a nice performance). McGregor is the slicker of the two and has high ideals about what he could accomplish if not held back by his parents' restaurant. When he falls hard for an actress, played by Hayley Atwell, he sets himself up for some bad decision making.One of the best movie scenes you will find is the one with McGregor and Farrell and Tom Wilkinson holding a very animated conversation under the tree in the rain. The camera work and sound really compliment terrific performances and crackling dialogue. That one scene is worth the price of admission.The moral of the story seems to be, if you must have a partner while committing murder, at least make sure it's not a weak at heart partner who has a conscience! My biggest question in this one is how could these two parents ever conceive such attractive sons?? The camera work is complimented by another great score from Philip Glass. Woody's next film is based in Barcelona and features the great Javier Bardem, Scarlett Johansson and Penelope Cruz. Can't wait!!