Cassandra's Dream
In a nutshell, Woody Allen considers social climbing in London - but falls flat.
Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell play two very opposite brothers in the third recent Allen film set in London. McGregor is ambitious, cool Ian, who keeps the books at their father's restaurant but schemes on getting in on a California real estate scheme. Meanwhile, Farrell's car mechanic character Terry is more intuitive - he's convinced he has a gift for sensing luck at the card table and racetrack. Farrell, in particular, thrives in the Cockney-speaking role that requires a few ups and many downs (including a breakdown).
The camera frames both working class and more sophisticated London settings with sunny lighting. However, apart from the occasional comic dialogue twist, Allen paints a very sombre portrait of good people turning bad. He did this much better in Match Point, his thrilling departure into dark London terrain. Here, despite his top-notch cast, Allen seems to probe human nature from a clinical distance, never engulfing the spectator.
The film gets its name from the boat the two brothers save up to buy at the start of the film. They spend at least one beautiful day on it before bigger fears and dreams sail into the picture. Ian aims to bound up the social ladder to reach beautiful stage actress Angela (Hayley Atwell), who appears in a pretentious play (one of Allen's few efforts to get laughs) and hangs out with rich intellectuals. Meanwhile, Terry accrues massive gambling debts - and is afraid loan sharks will come after him.
A deus ex machina appears in the form of rich Uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson). But his demands of the brothers indicate that he's not the family icon that Ian and Terry's mother (Clare Higgins) waxed on about to their hardworking father (John Benfield).
While the script doesn't leave any loose strings, developing each of its points, this contemplation on human nature and the importance of family tends to plod dutifully rather than enthusiastically leap. This often makes the events seem forced, the characters only paper cut-outs instead of real people. After brilliant Match Point and so-so romp Scoop, the lack of spontaneity in Cassandra's Dream makes you wish Allen would fly back to New York and start something fresh with unknowns. Alas, the next film is set in Barcelona.
Showing at: Athinaion Cinepolis, Cine Holargos, Cinerama, Danaos, Elli, Odeon Cinephiloi, Odeon Cosmopolis, Odeon Starcity, Petit Palais, Ster (St Eleftherios), Trianon, Village (The Mall, Rendi)
Good Luck Chuck
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Dentist Charlie (Dane Cook) has the mixed blessing of being a good luck charm for women. But as his reputation grows as the one that women sleep with in order to next find Mr Right, he gets increasingly unlucky with the one he really likes - clumsy penguin specialist Cam (Jessica Alba). Charlie is egged on by buddy Stu (Dan Fogler) in this film brimming with crassness.
Showing at: Aello Cinemax, Nana Cinemax, Odeon Cosmopolis, Odeon Starcity, Ster (Ilion, St Eleftherios), Village (The Mall, Rendi, Pangrati, Falyro)
Hitman
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VARIETY calls this violent film featuring Timothy Olyphant "a Eurotrashy vidgame knockoff that misses its target by a mile". Olyphant plays assassin Agent 47, who is sent to kill Russia's head-of-state, Belicoff (Ulrich Thomsen), but ends up pursued by Russian and US intelligence, as well as a gung-ho Interpol agent (Dougray Scott). Based on the videogame series, it was shot in Bulgaria by French director Xavier Gens.
Showing at: Glyfada, Odeon Cosmopolis, Odeon Starcity, Ster (Ilion, St Eleftherios), Village (The Ma
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