TIFF Day 7: Atonement, Cassandra's Dream

By JD McNamara: 2007-09-13 00:47:29

After yesterday’s four film frenzy, I decided to take a little breather and cut it down to two today. First up was Woody Allen’s newest effort Cassandra’s Dream, which was quite good and follows nicely in the footsteps of Match Point. For a change I had a bit of a break between screenings, so we ended up having a relaxing lunch before getting back in line for Joe Wright’s Atonement. If Atonement taught me anything, it is this: as breathtakingly beautiful as Keira Knightley is, somebody needs to get her a cheeseburger because she is far too skinny. I just wanted to get that off my chest because who knows, maybe she’ll read this and Super Size Me her way back to 2004 form. Anyways, it was another awesome day in Toronto and I was very grateful for the slower, more enjoyable pace.

Cassandra’s Dream
Cassandra’s Dream is Woody Allen’s study of family, loyalty, crime, and murder. It is a film that is both very similar and yet vastly different from Match Point. The former follows a man who struggles to do what is necessary in order to selfishly survive without suffering the consequences. While the newer one retains this same theme it extrapolates to the point where the characters actually confront the moral connotations of their actions. Conceiving and even committing a murder is one thing, but living in the shadows of the dubious dead for a lifetime is an entirely different prospect, and one that does not rear its ugly head until it is far too late.

Cassandra’s Dream follows Terry (Colin Farrell) and Ian (Ewan McGregor) who are not only brothers, but also the best of friends. Their ultra close relationship is a focal point throughout the entire movie, and the two leads pull it off to perfection. Farrell is marvelous as the risk-taking gambler Terry and McGregor is almost his equal as Ian, a pseudo-investor who waits patiently for his ship to sail. When the brothers buy a sailboat together, they see it as the beginning of their ascent from the low-stakes table of life and into the fast lane. They take turns bringing their girlfriends out on the boat and driving them around in fancy but borrowed cars, all the while making even bigger plans for their future. But then things start to unravel and when the boys begin to see their dream lives slipping away, they turn to their rich and always generous Uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson). Unfortunately, Howard is in even worse trouble, and he only promises to help the boys if they agree to assist him with a delicate situation that is beyond anything Ian and Terry ever imagined.

Although the acting was excellent, I felt the script was weak and slightly hindered many aspects of the film. For example: it was funny but it could have been funnier; it was emotional but not emotional enough; and instead of tackling its themes head on it merely poked them and observed the ripple effect. I liked Cassandra’s Dream and I think it was well made, but I would just like to see Woody dive headlong into a film and take it all the way like he used to. Just one more time Woody, that’s all I ask.

3.5/5 Stars

Atonement
Apparently Joe Wright likes to adapt beloved novels for the screen, which is always a daunting endeavor. But after successfully adapting Pride and Prejudice in his directorial debut, it seems Wright has done it once again with his second film, Atonement. As a movie its solid, but since I have not read the book there was no way to be sure that it was indeed a successful adaptation. Luckily enough, I ran into an English Professor outside the theatre and in her words it was, “an excellent adaptation.” If a woman with a PhD in English says the film does justice to the novel then that is definitely enough proof for me.

Set initially in Britain in 1935, the film opens with a wealthy pair of sisters waiting for their brother to arrive home for his party. The eldest Cecelia (Keira Knightley) is in love with the gardener’s son Robbie (James McAvoy), but she struggles with the class difference that separates them. The youngest Briony (Saoirse Ronan) is a spoiled brat, and she simply must have her way. When the party finally starts, tragedy is not far behind and the issue in question forever changes everybody involved. The rest of the film spans a number of years, and the twists and turns of the plot are best left alone until you actually see it.

Atonement boasts some of the best talent in the business with brilliant direction from Wright, terrific acting from Knightley, and especially from McAvoy who is amazing as the tormented victim of youthful jealousy. Ultimately the film is rich with emotional depth, and it provides an excellent look at how drastically the world can change in one single moment. I simply cannot put it any better than Joe Wright, who epitomized what I love about his film before it even started by saying, “my goal is to make movies that require the use of your imagination to fill in some details.” Well Joe, I applaud you because you have succeeded beautifully.

4/5 Stars

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