For the past two decades, Raphael Benoliel has been Hollywood’s man in France. With more than 40 projects under his belt, the Nice-born Benoliel has turned his Firstep production banner into a kind of one-stop-shop for international shoots, amassing line producer credits on projects as varied as “Les Miserables,” “Stillwater” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.”
And if last year might have been Firstep’s busiest year to date following back-to-back shoots of “Emily in Paris,” “John Wick: Chapter 4” and David Fincher’s “The Killer,” this year shows no signs of letting up, which makes the circumstances of Firstep’s founding all the more ironic.
“[Firstep co-founder] Dimitri Veret and I started the company with other goals in mind,” Benoliel tells Variety. “I was receiving [employment insurance] and didn’t necessarily need the money to get by, so we launched Firstep, using the benefits to finance our shorts.”
Opportunity knocked when Benoliel – who was...
And if last year might have been Firstep’s busiest year to date following back-to-back shoots of “Emily in Paris,” “John Wick: Chapter 4” and David Fincher’s “The Killer,” this year shows no signs of letting up, which makes the circumstances of Firstep’s founding all the more ironic.
“[Firstep co-founder] Dimitri Veret and I started the company with other goals in mind,” Benoliel tells Variety. “I was receiving [employment insurance] and didn’t necessarily need the money to get by, so we launched Firstep, using the benefits to finance our shorts.”
Opportunity knocked when Benoliel – who was...
- 1/24/2022
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
In exactly one month Woody Allen’s first television venture, “Crisis in Six Scenes,” will debut exclusively on Amazon. The six-episode series stars Allen alongside Miley Cyrus and Elaine May and, the first images have just been released by the streaming service.
“Crisis in Six Scenes” takes place in the U.S. during turbulent times in the 1960’s. The story follows a traditional suburban New York couple (Allen and May), their friend-of-the-family houseguest (John Magaro) and his fiancée (Rachel Brosnahan) who have their conservative beliefs challenged by a young hippie (Miley Cyrus) who’s caught up in the ’60s movement and inspired by radical communist leaders, according to EW.
The comedy was created, written and directed by Allen and executive produced by Erika Aronson and produced by Helen Robin.
Read More: Amazon Reveals Title, First Clip From Woody Allen’s New Half-Hour Series
The first snippets of the series were...
“Crisis in Six Scenes” takes place in the U.S. during turbulent times in the 1960’s. The story follows a traditional suburban New York couple (Allen and May), their friend-of-the-family houseguest (John Magaro) and his fiancée (Rachel Brosnahan) who have their conservative beliefs challenged by a young hippie (Miley Cyrus) who’s caught up in the ’60s movement and inspired by radical communist leaders, according to EW.
The comedy was created, written and directed by Allen and executive produced by Erika Aronson and produced by Helen Robin.
Read More: Amazon Reveals Title, First Clip From Woody Allen’s New Half-Hour Series
The first snippets of the series were...
- 8/30/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
As the rumors swirl when it comes to the line-up for the 69th Cannes Film Festival, today brings confirmation of one specific title. The festival announced today that Woody Allen‘s latest feature Café Society — which Amazon Studios is expected to release this summer — will open the event as an out-of-competition title, marking the third time one of his films has done so.
Led by Kristen Stewart (who we expect to also show up with Olivier Assayas‘ Personal Shopper) and Jesse Eisenberg, the announcement also comes with an official logline (following last week’s details from cinematographer Vittorio Storaro) and the first still, seen above. Check out the press release below in full and return for our review.
The 69th Festival International du Film de Cannes will launch with a screening of Woody Allen’s new film, Café Society, on Wednesday 11 May in the Palais des Festivals’s Grand Théâtre...
Led by Kristen Stewart (who we expect to also show up with Olivier Assayas‘ Personal Shopper) and Jesse Eisenberg, the announcement also comes with an official logline (following last week’s details from cinematographer Vittorio Storaro) and the first still, seen above. Check out the press release below in full and return for our review.
The 69th Festival International du Film de Cannes will launch with a screening of Woody Allen’s new film, Café Society, on Wednesday 11 May in the Palais des Festivals’s Grand Théâtre...
- 3/29/2016
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Period romance stars Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg.
Woody Allen’s new film, Café Society starring Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg, is to open the 69th Cannes Film Festival on May 11.
Screening Out of Competition title, it marks a record-breaking coup for the New York director who has already opened Cannes twice, in 2002 with Hollywood Ending and in 2011 with Midnight in Paris.
Scroll down for full list of Woody Allen titles at Cannes over the years
The film tells the story of a young man (Eisenberg) who arrives in Hollywood during the 1930s hoping to work in the film industry, falls in love, and finds himself swept up in the vibrant café society that defined the spirit of the age. The cast also includes Blake Lively, Parker Posey and Steve Carell.
It marks the third time Eisenberg and Stewart have starred opposite each other after Adventureland (2009) and American Ultra (2015).
Twilight star Stewart previously walked the red carpet...
Woody Allen’s new film, Café Society starring Kristen Stewart and Jesse Eisenberg, is to open the 69th Cannes Film Festival on May 11.
Screening Out of Competition title, it marks a record-breaking coup for the New York director who has already opened Cannes twice, in 2002 with Hollywood Ending and in 2011 with Midnight in Paris.
Scroll down for full list of Woody Allen titles at Cannes over the years
The film tells the story of a young man (Eisenberg) who arrives in Hollywood during the 1930s hoping to work in the film industry, falls in love, and finds himself swept up in the vibrant café society that defined the spirit of the age. The cast also includes Blake Lively, Parker Posey and Steve Carell.
It marks the third time Eisenberg and Stewart have starred opposite each other after Adventureland (2009) and American Ultra (2015).
Twilight star Stewart previously walked the red carpet...
- 3/29/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
While live-blogging the Oscars you really don't get too much of a chance to take in all the acceptance speeches. I catch a few moments here and there, and I can pretty much tell when the air is being let out of the room as well as those moments where someone is really capturing the moment. What I've put together below are the five speeches where I think the winner really managed to stand-out. I also love the true excitement coupled with the words chosen in these speeches. Lupita Nyong'o (12 Years a Slave, especially, seemed to capture the room with her infectious smile as much as Jennifer Lawrence a year before, not to forget her brother, Peter, who photobombed Ellen's Twitter-breaking selfie and is clearly someone very special in Lupita's life and she in his. The only truly strange thing about these speeches is John Ridley and Steve McQueen failing...
- 3/3/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The Oscars speech of the night goes to newcomer Lupita Nyong’o, who won best supporting actress for her role as Patsey in Steve McQueen’s 12 Years A Slave.
Transcripts of all Academy Awards winners’ onstage speeches…
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
Yes! Thank you to the Academy for this incredible recognition. It doesn’t escape me for one moment that so much joy in my life is thanks to so much pain in someone else’s. And so I want to salute the spirit of Patsey for her guidance. And for Solomon, thank you for telling her story and your own. Steve McQueen, you charge everything you fashion with a breath of your own spirit. Thank you so much for putting me in this position. This has been the joy of my life. I’m certain that the dead are standing about you and watching and they...
Transcripts of all Academy Awards winners’ onstage speeches…
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Lupita Nyong’o, 12 Years a Slave
Yes! Thank you to the Academy for this incredible recognition. It doesn’t escape me for one moment that so much joy in my life is thanks to so much pain in someone else’s. And so I want to salute the spirit of Patsey for her guidance. And for Solomon, thank you for telling her story and your own. Steve McQueen, you charge everything you fashion with a breath of your own spirit. Thank you so much for putting me in this position. This has been the joy of my life. I’m certain that the dead are standing about you and watching and they...
- 3/3/2014
- ScreenDaily
Magic in Moonlight
Director: Woody Allen
Writer: Woody Allen
Producers: Letty Aronson, Helen Robin, Stephen Tenenbaum
U.S. Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Cast: Emma Stone, Colin Firth, Marcia Gay Harden, Jacki Weaver, Hamish Linklater, Eileen Atkins, Simon McBurney, Erica Leerhsen, Catherine McCormack, Paul Ritter, Jeremy Shamos
For his 47th feature film, the clarinet playing Woody Allen proposes a visit to an era he must be expertly familiar with…1920′s jazz scene in France. Curious in seeing how Emma Stone will flex her muscles.
Gist: This is about an Englishman brought in to help unmask a possible swindle. Personal and professional complications ensue. The film is set in the south of France in the 1920s against a backdrop of wealthy mansions, the Côte d’Azur, jazz joints and fashionable spots for the wealthy of the Jazz Age.
Release Date: Where else would you want to unload a film set in the...
Director: Woody Allen
Writer: Woody Allen
Producers: Letty Aronson, Helen Robin, Stephen Tenenbaum
U.S. Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Cast: Emma Stone, Colin Firth, Marcia Gay Harden, Jacki Weaver, Hamish Linklater, Eileen Atkins, Simon McBurney, Erica Leerhsen, Catherine McCormack, Paul Ritter, Jeremy Shamos
For his 47th feature film, the clarinet playing Woody Allen proposes a visit to an era he must be expertly familiar with…1920′s jazz scene in France. Curious in seeing how Emma Stone will flex her muscles.
Gist: This is about an Englishman brought in to help unmask a possible swindle. Personal and professional complications ensue. The film is set in the south of France in the 1920s against a backdrop of wealthy mansions, the Côte d’Azur, jazz joints and fashionable spots for the wealthy of the Jazz Age.
Release Date: Where else would you want to unload a film set in the...
- 2/19/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
David Fincher, Woody Allen, and the other nominations for the 2011 Directors Guild of America Awards have been announced. The 64th Annual Directors Guild of America Awards are sponsored by the Directors Guild of America (DGA), which is “the labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry…the DGA is a craft union. It represents directors, assistant directors, stage managers, and production associates in television, and directors, assistant directors, unit production managers, technical coordinators, and location managers (New York & Chicago only) in film as well as similar positions in television commercials production.”
The winner of 2011 Directors Guild of America Awards (DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2011) will be announced at the 63rd Annual DGA Awards Dinner on January 28, 2012.
The full listing of the 2011 Directors Guild of America Awards nominations is below.
Woody Allen
Midnight in Paris
(Sony Pictures Classics...
The winner of 2011 Directors Guild of America Awards (DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2011) will be announced at the 63rd Annual DGA Awards Dinner on January 28, 2012.
The full listing of the 2011 Directors Guild of America Awards nominations is below.
Woody Allen
Midnight in Paris
(Sony Pictures Classics...
- 1/10/2012
- by filmbook
- Film-Book
Earlier today Directors Guild of America President Taylor Hackford announced the five nominees for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2011. It's a solid list of nominations, but I'm surprised that Steven Spielberg isn't on the list for his work on War Horse. I still haven't seen The Artist or The Descendants, but I'm hoping to see those soon.
The directors nominated this year for the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film Award have each demonstrated an inspired command of the medium. The fact that their prodigious talents have been recognized by their peers is the highest honor a director can achieve," said Hackford. "I offer my most sincere congratulations to each of the nominees.
The winner will be announced at the 64th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, January 28th, 2012, and here are the list of nominations. Who would you like to win the award this year?...
The directors nominated this year for the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film Award have each demonstrated an inspired command of the medium. The fact that their prodigious talents have been recognized by their peers is the highest honor a director can achieve," said Hackford. "I offer my most sincere congratulations to each of the nominees.
The winner will be announced at the 64th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, January 28th, 2012, and here are the list of nominations. Who would you like to win the award this year?...
- 1/9/2012
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
The Directors Guild of America, one of the biggest precursors for the Academy Awards, have announced their nominations today. They are David Fincher for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Woody Allen for Midnight in Paris, Alexander Payne for The Descendants, Michel Hazanavicius for The Artist and Martin Scorsese for Hugo.
The two biggest snubs would be Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life and Steven Spielberg for War Horse. The latter of the two is more surprising, considering the Academy’s fondness for the blockbuster maker. In better news, Tate Taylor is out of the running for The Help, a film that will likely ride into awards season on its performances and syrupy optimism. Out of the five, I’m surprised Fincher made the cut, considering many perceived Dragon Tattoo to not be an awards contender. Check out more information on the nominees below.
David Fincher
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
(Columbia Pictures,...
The two biggest snubs would be Terrence Malick for The Tree of Life and Steven Spielberg for War Horse. The latter of the two is more surprising, considering the Academy’s fondness for the blockbuster maker. In better news, Tate Taylor is out of the running for The Help, a film that will likely ride into awards season on its performances and syrupy optimism. Out of the five, I’m surprised Fincher made the cut, considering many perceived Dragon Tattoo to not be an awards contender. Check out more information on the nominees below.
David Fincher
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
(Columbia Pictures,...
- 1/9/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
HollywoodNews.com: Directors Guild of America President Taylor Hackford today announced the five nominees for the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film for 2011.
The directors nominated this year for the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film Award have each demonstrated an inspired command of the medium. The fact that their prodigious talents have been recognized by their peers is the highest honor a director can achieve,? said Hackford. ?I offer my most sincere congratulations to each of the nominees.?
The winner will be named at the 64th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, January 28, 2012, at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland. The nominees are (in alphabetical order):
Woody Allen
Midnight in Paris
(Sony Pictures Classics)
Mr. Allen?s Directorial Team:
· Unit Production Managers: Matthieu Rubin, Helen Robin
· First Assistant Director: Gil Kenny
· Second Assistant Director: Delphine Bertrand
This is Mr. Allen?s fifth DGA Feature Film Award nomination.
The directors nominated this year for the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film Award have each demonstrated an inspired command of the medium. The fact that their prodigious talents have been recognized by their peers is the highest honor a director can achieve,? said Hackford. ?I offer my most sincere congratulations to each of the nominees.?
The winner will be named at the 64th Annual DGA Awards Dinner on Saturday, January 28, 2012, at the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland. The nominees are (in alphabetical order):
Woody Allen
Midnight in Paris
(Sony Pictures Classics)
Mr. Allen?s Directorial Team:
· Unit Production Managers: Matthieu Rubin, Helen Robin
· First Assistant Director: Gil Kenny
· Second Assistant Director: Delphine Bertrand
This is Mr. Allen?s fifth DGA Feature Film Award nomination.
- 1/9/2012
- by Josh Abraham
- Hollywoodnews.com
Few days ago we reported that Penelope Cruz and Alec Baldwin are set to star in the upcoming Woody Allen‘s mysterious project, and today we’re here for a new update!
Accodring to the latest reports, we have two more names on board now – The Social Network star Jesse Eisenberg and Inception star Ellen Page. Not bad at all, don’t you think?
Although, it would be nice to hear at least something about the plot for the yet untitled comedy that will shoot in Rome, because Allen has declared New York City, the site of a majority of his most famous films, as now too expensive to shoot films in.
Woody Allen will direct from his own screenplay, with Letty Aronson and Helen Robin. In addition to writing and directing, Allen plans to star in the film as well.
As you already guess, we still have no idea...
Accodring to the latest reports, we have two more names on board now – The Social Network star Jesse Eisenberg and Inception star Ellen Page. Not bad at all, don’t you think?
Although, it would be nice to hear at least something about the plot for the yet untitled comedy that will shoot in Rome, because Allen has declared New York City, the site of a majority of his most famous films, as now too expensive to shoot films in.
Woody Allen will direct from his own screenplay, with Letty Aronson and Helen Robin. In addition to writing and directing, Allen plans to star in the film as well.
As you already guess, we still have no idea...
- 4/15/2011
- by Fiona
- Filmofilia
Woody Allen has cast Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page, Penelope Cruz and Alec Baldwin for his new untitled film that will shoot in Rome this summer.According to Variety, Allen will direct from his own screenplay.As always with Allen's films, plot details are tightly under wraps.Letty Aronson is producing with Helen Robin. Eisenberg voices the lead character in the animated film "Rio," which opens wide this weekend.Page can be currently seen in James Gunn's "Super." Baldwin recently joined the cast of New Line's "Rock of Ages."Cruz, who won an Oscar for her role in Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," will be seen this summer opposite Johnny Depp in Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides."Allen's current film, "Midnight in Paris," will open...
- 4/14/2011
- by Adnan Tezer
- Monsters and Critics
Ellen Page has joined Woody Allen's next directorial project set in Rome. The 'Inception' actress joins Alec Baldwin, Jesse Eisenberg and Penelope Cruz in the as-yet-untitled project, which will be shot in the Italian capital. The plot of the project is being kept under wraps, but it is known Woody has written the screenplay himself. Letty Aronson is producing the project alongside Helen Robin. Oscar-nominated Ellen is best known for her role in Christopher Nolan's 'Inception', but has also starred in the 2007 comedy drama 'Juno' and as Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat in 2006's 'X-Men: The...
- 4/14/2011
- Virgin Media - Movies
Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page, Penelope Cruz, Alec Baldwin join Woody Allen's untitled Rome movie that will shoot this summer. Allen directs from his own script and there's no plot details as yet. Letty Aronson produces yet again, along with with Helen Robin. Eisenberg, who received his first Oscar nomination for The Social Network, is also with Melissa Leo in Predisposed indie flick Page was in Inception for Christopher Nolan is also in Super with Rainn Wilson, helmed by James Gunn. Baldwin's filming Hick" with Blake Lively, and is committed to join Rock of Ages with Tom Cruise...
- 4/13/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page, Penelope Cruz, Alec Baldwin join Woody Allen's untitled Rome movie that will shoot this summer. Allen directs from his own script and there's no plot details as yet. Letty Aronson produces yet again, along with with Helen Robin. Eisenberg, who received his first Oscar nomination for The Social Network, is also with Melissa Leo in Predisposed indie flick Page was in Inception for Christopher Nolan is also in Super with Rainn Wilson, helmed by James Gunn. Baldwin's filming Hick" with Blake Lively, and is committed to join Rock of Ages with Tom Cruise...
- 4/13/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page, Penelope Cruz, Alec Baldwin join Woody Allen's untitled Rome movie that will shoot this summer. Allen directs from his own script and there's no plot details as yet. Letty Aronson produces yet again, along with with Helen Robin. Eisenberg, who received his first Oscar nomination for The Social Network, is also with Melissa Leo in Predisposed indie flick Page was in Inception for Christopher Nolan is also in Super with Rainn Wilson, helmed by James Gunn. Baldwin's filming Hick" with Blake Lively, and is committed to join Rock of Ages with Tom Cruise...
- 4/13/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
It’s official, no doubt: Woody Allen will film his next movie in Rome this summer. Shooting is set to start in July with Italy’s Medusa as producer. Allen’s producers Letty Aronson and Helen Robin will guide.
Only one of his previous seven projects, Whatever Works, has been taken outside of Europe. After a London-set trio: Match Point, Scoop and Cassandra’s Dream, Woody Allen’s European tour keeps on with the Spain-based Oscar-winning Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Allen’s last movie, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, was also set in London.
Woody Allen’s upcoming yet untitled Rome-set movie, still in script stage, will follow his Paris-set rom-com Midnight in Paris, with impressive ensemble cast including Rachel McAdams, Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Marion Cotillard and French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, which will open the Cannes Film Festival on May 11.
The iconic Us director, whose most popular...
Only one of his previous seven projects, Whatever Works, has been taken outside of Europe. After a London-set trio: Match Point, Scoop and Cassandra’s Dream, Woody Allen’s European tour keeps on with the Spain-based Oscar-winning Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Allen’s last movie, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, was also set in London.
Woody Allen’s upcoming yet untitled Rome-set movie, still in script stage, will follow his Paris-set rom-com Midnight in Paris, with impressive ensemble cast including Rachel McAdams, Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Marion Cotillard and French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, which will open the Cannes Film Festival on May 11.
The iconic Us director, whose most popular...
- 3/8/2011
- by Nikola Mraovic
- Filmofilia
This review was written for the festival screening of "Cassandra's Dream."Venice International Film Festival (Venice Masters)
VENICE, Italy -- Woody Allen's "Cassandra's Dream" is a humorless misfire that wastes the talents of some fine actors including Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell and Tom Wilkinson while continuing the mystery of Colin Farrell's appeal to major filmmakers.
As writer, Allen offers lazy plotting, poor characterization, dull scenes and flat dialogue. As director, he makes no demands on the abundant talents of cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond and composer Philip Glass. He employs predictable and illogical London and countryside locations. And he abandons good players to do what they can with the material at hand while allowing Farrell to mumble his way through another indifferent performance.
The film, screened in the Venice Masters sidebar of the Venice International Film Festival, has minimal boxoffice prospects, and only McGregor and Allen completists are likely to want it on their DVD shelf.
McGregor and Farrell play unlikely brothers who become enmeshed in a plot by a rich uncle to murder a disgruntled employee whose testimony in court could send him to prison for life. Ian (McGregor) is a clean-cut dreamer who helps his worn-down father run a small restaurant and borrows fancy cars to impress women. Terry Farrell) is an unshaven lout who works as a car mechanic, drinks too much and likes to bet on the ponies.
Nevertheless, the brothers are able to pool resources for the purchase of a good-looking boat that they name "Cassandra's Dream" after a horse that recently came in for Terry.
Even with this outlay, Ian is able to make plans to invest in a scheme to build hotels in California and to woo a beautiful young actress named Angela (Atwell). And Terry finances a home for his bubbly wife Kate (Sally Hawkins) and buys a seat in a big-time poker game.
When Terry loses 90,000 pounds at poker, they turn in desperation to fabulously wealthy Uncle Howard Wilkinson) who just happens to be visiting London from his sumptuous home in Los Angeles where he oversees a global chain of plastic surgery clinics.
Uncle Howard is willing to pay off Terry's debts and provide the funds for Ian's hotel dreams if they will do him a little favor. His empire is about to come crashing down and he will go to jail unless he can prevent a man named Martin Burns (Phil Davis) from testifying. He has to be killed. "I see no alternative", says Uncle Howard.
At first unwilling, the brothers talk themselves into the crime and the rest of the picture follows their attempts at murder and its dire consequences. But it is played out with not a shred of wit or tension. Key plot points beggar belief: that jittery, pill-taking Terry knows how to play poker or that any loan-shark would allow him to build up such a huge debt; that Uncle Howard, having global resources including businesses in China, would have to resort to his witless nephews to get him out of a jam; and that two basically decent and humble blokes would so readily commit murder.
It's all contrivance, and Allen does none of the things required in a movie to establish verisimilitude. There's no comment on the lives of the two young men and scenes involving Atwell and her theatrical chums have no bite. Atwell is a major find, however, and like McGregor and Wilkinson, and the rest of a good cast, will go on to better things. Where Allen and Farrell go now is a sadder question.
CASSANDRA'S DREAM
Wild Bunch
An Iberville production
Director, writer: Woody Allen
Producers: Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum, Gareth Wiley
Executive producers: Vincent Maraval, Brahim Chioua, Daniel Wuhrman
Co-executive producers: Jack Rollins, Charles H. Joffe
Director of photography: Vilmos Zsigmond
Production designer: Maria Djurkovic
Music: Philip Glass
Co-producers: Helen Robin, Nicky Kentish Barnes
Costume designer: Jill Taylor
Editor: Alisa Lepselter
Cast:
Ian: Ewan McGregor
Terry: Colin Farrell
Angela: Hayley Atwell
Kate: Sally Hawkins
Howard: Tom Wilkinson
Martin Burns: Phil Davis
Father: John Benfield
Mother: Clare Higgins
Boat owner: Peter Hugo-Daly
Lucy: Ashley Medekwe
Jerry: Andrew Howard
Terry's track mate: Keith Smee
Mel: Stephen Noonan
Fred: Dan Carter
Director: Richard Lintern
Helen: Jennifer Higham
Mike: Lee Whitlock
Estate agent: Michael Harm
Dora: Emily Gilchrist
Bernard: George Richmond
Burns' mother: Phyllis Roberts
Burns' date: Tamzin Outhwaite
Angela's mother: Cate Fowler
Angela's father: David Horovitch
Jaguar owner: Matt Bardock
Garage boss: Jim Carter
Nigel: Paul Gardner
Eisley: Mark Umbers
Servant: Maggie McCarthy
Poker players: Hugh Rathbone, Allan Ramsey, Paul Davis, Terry Budin Jones, Franck Viano, Tommy Mack, Milo Bodrozic
Detectives: Richard Graham, Ross Boatman
No MPAA rating, running time 108 minutes.
VENICE, Italy -- Woody Allen's "Cassandra's Dream" is a humorless misfire that wastes the talents of some fine actors including Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell and Tom Wilkinson while continuing the mystery of Colin Farrell's appeal to major filmmakers.
As writer, Allen offers lazy plotting, poor characterization, dull scenes and flat dialogue. As director, he makes no demands on the abundant talents of cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond and composer Philip Glass. He employs predictable and illogical London and countryside locations. And he abandons good players to do what they can with the material at hand while allowing Farrell to mumble his way through another indifferent performance.
The film, screened in the Venice Masters sidebar of the Venice International Film Festival, has minimal boxoffice prospects, and only McGregor and Allen completists are likely to want it on their DVD shelf.
McGregor and Farrell play unlikely brothers who become enmeshed in a plot by a rich uncle to murder a disgruntled employee whose testimony in court could send him to prison for life. Ian (McGregor) is a clean-cut dreamer who helps his worn-down father run a small restaurant and borrows fancy cars to impress women. Terry Farrell) is an unshaven lout who works as a car mechanic, drinks too much and likes to bet on the ponies.
Nevertheless, the brothers are able to pool resources for the purchase of a good-looking boat that they name "Cassandra's Dream" after a horse that recently came in for Terry.
Even with this outlay, Ian is able to make plans to invest in a scheme to build hotels in California and to woo a beautiful young actress named Angela (Atwell). And Terry finances a home for his bubbly wife Kate (Sally Hawkins) and buys a seat in a big-time poker game.
When Terry loses 90,000 pounds at poker, they turn in desperation to fabulously wealthy Uncle Howard Wilkinson) who just happens to be visiting London from his sumptuous home in Los Angeles where he oversees a global chain of plastic surgery clinics.
Uncle Howard is willing to pay off Terry's debts and provide the funds for Ian's hotel dreams if they will do him a little favor. His empire is about to come crashing down and he will go to jail unless he can prevent a man named Martin Burns (Phil Davis) from testifying. He has to be killed. "I see no alternative", says Uncle Howard.
At first unwilling, the brothers talk themselves into the crime and the rest of the picture follows their attempts at murder and its dire consequences. But it is played out with not a shred of wit or tension. Key plot points beggar belief: that jittery, pill-taking Terry knows how to play poker or that any loan-shark would allow him to build up such a huge debt; that Uncle Howard, having global resources including businesses in China, would have to resort to his witless nephews to get him out of a jam; and that two basically decent and humble blokes would so readily commit murder.
It's all contrivance, and Allen does none of the things required in a movie to establish verisimilitude. There's no comment on the lives of the two young men and scenes involving Atwell and her theatrical chums have no bite. Atwell is a major find, however, and like McGregor and Wilkinson, and the rest of a good cast, will go on to better things. Where Allen and Farrell go now is a sadder question.
CASSANDRA'S DREAM
Wild Bunch
An Iberville production
Director, writer: Woody Allen
Producers: Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum, Gareth Wiley
Executive producers: Vincent Maraval, Brahim Chioua, Daniel Wuhrman
Co-executive producers: Jack Rollins, Charles H. Joffe
Director of photography: Vilmos Zsigmond
Production designer: Maria Djurkovic
Music: Philip Glass
Co-producers: Helen Robin, Nicky Kentish Barnes
Costume designer: Jill Taylor
Editor: Alisa Lepselter
Cast:
Ian: Ewan McGregor
Terry: Colin Farrell
Angela: Hayley Atwell
Kate: Sally Hawkins
Howard: Tom Wilkinson
Martin Burns: Phil Davis
Father: John Benfield
Mother: Clare Higgins
Boat owner: Peter Hugo-Daly
Lucy: Ashley Medekwe
Jerry: Andrew Howard
Terry's track mate: Keith Smee
Mel: Stephen Noonan
Fred: Dan Carter
Director: Richard Lintern
Helen: Jennifer Higham
Mike: Lee Whitlock
Estate agent: Michael Harm
Dora: Emily Gilchrist
Bernard: George Richmond
Burns' mother: Phyllis Roberts
Burns' date: Tamzin Outhwaite
Angela's mother: Cate Fowler
Angela's father: David Horovitch
Jaguar owner: Matt Bardock
Garage boss: Jim Carter
Nigel: Paul Gardner
Eisley: Mark Umbers
Servant: Maggie McCarthy
Poker players: Hugh Rathbone, Allan Ramsey, Paul Davis, Terry Budin Jones, Franck Viano, Tommy Mack, Milo Bodrozic
Detectives: Richard Graham, Ross Boatman
No MPAA rating, running time 108 minutes.
Venice International Film Festival (Venice Masters)
VENICE, Italy -- Woody Allen's Cassandra's Dream is a humorless misfire that wastes the talents of some fine actors including Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell and Tom Wilkinson while continuing the mystery of Colin Farrell's appeal to major filmmakers.
As writer, Allen offers lazy plotting, poor characterization, dull scenes and flat dialogue. As director, he makes no demands on the abundant talents of cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond and composer Philip Glass. He employs predictable and illogical London and countryside locations. And he abandons good players to do what they can with the material at hand while allowing Farrell to mumble his way through another indifferent performance.
The film, screened in the Venice Masters sidebar of the Venice International Film Festival, has minimal boxoffice prospects, and only McGregor and Allen completists are likely to want it on their DVD shelf.
McGregor and Farrell play unlikely brothers who become enmeshed in a plot by a rich uncle to murder a disgruntled employee whose testimony in court could send him to prison for life. Ian (McGregor) is a clean-cut dreamer who helps his worn-down father run a small restaurant and borrows fancy cars to impress women. Terry Farrell) is an unshaven lout who works as a car mechanic, drinks too much and likes to bet on the ponies.
Nevertheless, the brothers are able to pool resources for the purchase of a good-looking boat that they name "Cassandra's Dream" after a horse that recently came in for Terry.
Even with this outlay, Ian is able to make plans to invest in a scheme to build hotels in California and to woo a beautiful young actress named Angela (Atwell). And Terry finances a home for his bubbly wife Kate (Sally Hawkins) and buys a seat in a big-time poker game.
When Terry loses 90,000 pounds at poker, they turn in desperation to fabulously wealthy Uncle Howard Wilkinson) who just happens to be visiting London from his sumptuous home in Los Angeles where he oversees a global chain of plastic surgery clinics.
Uncle Howard is willing to pay off Terry's debts and provide the funds for Ian's hotel dreams if they will do him a little favor. His empire is about to come crashing down and he will go to jail unless he can prevent a man named Martin Burns (Phil Davis) from testifying. He has to be killed. I see no alternative, says Uncle Howard.
At first unwilling, the brothers talk themselves into the crime and the rest of the picture follows their attempts at murder and its dire consequences. But it is played out with not a shred of wit or tension. Key plot points beggar belief: that jittery, pill-taking Terry knows how to play poker or that any loan-shark would allow him to build up such a huge debt; that Uncle Howard, having global resources including businesses in China, would have to resort to his witless nephews to get him out of a jam; and that two basically decent and humble blokes would so readily commit murder.
It's all contrivance, and Allen does none of the things required in a movie to establish verisimilitude. There's no comment on the lives of the two young men and scenes involving Atwell and her theatrical chums have no bite. Atwell is a major find, however, and like McGregor and Wilkinson, and the rest of a good cast, will go on to better things. Where Allen and Farrell go now is a sadder question.
CASSANDRA'S DREAM
Wild Bunch
An Iberville production
Director, writer: Woody Allen
Producers: Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum, Gareth Wiley
Executive producers: Vincent Maraval, Brahim Chioua, Daniel Wuhrman
Co-executive producers: Jack Rollins, Charles H. Joffe
Director of photography: Vilmos Zsigmond
Production designer: Maria Djurkovic
Music: Philip Glass
Co-producers: Helen Robin, Nicky Kentish Barnes
Costume designer: Jill Taylor
Editor: Alisa Lepselter
Cast:
Ian: Ewan McGregor
Terry: Colin Farrell
Angela: Hayley Atwell
Kate: Sally Hawkins
Howard: Tom Wilkinson
Martin Burns: Phil Davis
Father: John Benfield
Mother: Clare Higgins
Boat owner: Peter Hugo-Daly
Lucy: Ashley Medekwe
Jerry: Andrew Howard
Terry's track mate: Keith Smee
Mel: Stephen Noonan
Fred: Dan Carter
Director: Richard Lintern
Helen: Jennifer Higham
Mike: Lee Whitlock
Estate agent: Michael Harm
Dora: Emily Gilchrist
Bernard: George Richmond
Burns' mother: Phyllis Roberts
Burns' date: Tamzin Outhwaite
Angela's mother: Cate Fowler
Angela's father: David Horovitch
Jaguar owner: Matt Bardock
Garage boss: Jim Carter
Nigel: Paul Gardner
Eisley: Mark Umbers
Servant: Maggie McCarthy
Poker players: Hugh Rathbone, Allan Ramsey, Paul Davis, Terry Budin Jones, Franck Viano, Tommy Mack, Milo Bodrozic
Detectives: Richard Graham, Ross Boatman
No MPAA rating, running time 108 minutes.
VENICE, Italy -- Woody Allen's Cassandra's Dream is a humorless misfire that wastes the talents of some fine actors including Ewan McGregor, Hayley Atwell and Tom Wilkinson while continuing the mystery of Colin Farrell's appeal to major filmmakers.
As writer, Allen offers lazy plotting, poor characterization, dull scenes and flat dialogue. As director, he makes no demands on the abundant talents of cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond and composer Philip Glass. He employs predictable and illogical London and countryside locations. And he abandons good players to do what they can with the material at hand while allowing Farrell to mumble his way through another indifferent performance.
The film, screened in the Venice Masters sidebar of the Venice International Film Festival, has minimal boxoffice prospects, and only McGregor and Allen completists are likely to want it on their DVD shelf.
McGregor and Farrell play unlikely brothers who become enmeshed in a plot by a rich uncle to murder a disgruntled employee whose testimony in court could send him to prison for life. Ian (McGregor) is a clean-cut dreamer who helps his worn-down father run a small restaurant and borrows fancy cars to impress women. Terry Farrell) is an unshaven lout who works as a car mechanic, drinks too much and likes to bet on the ponies.
Nevertheless, the brothers are able to pool resources for the purchase of a good-looking boat that they name "Cassandra's Dream" after a horse that recently came in for Terry.
Even with this outlay, Ian is able to make plans to invest in a scheme to build hotels in California and to woo a beautiful young actress named Angela (Atwell). And Terry finances a home for his bubbly wife Kate (Sally Hawkins) and buys a seat in a big-time poker game.
When Terry loses 90,000 pounds at poker, they turn in desperation to fabulously wealthy Uncle Howard Wilkinson) who just happens to be visiting London from his sumptuous home in Los Angeles where he oversees a global chain of plastic surgery clinics.
Uncle Howard is willing to pay off Terry's debts and provide the funds for Ian's hotel dreams if they will do him a little favor. His empire is about to come crashing down and he will go to jail unless he can prevent a man named Martin Burns (Phil Davis) from testifying. He has to be killed. I see no alternative, says Uncle Howard.
At first unwilling, the brothers talk themselves into the crime and the rest of the picture follows their attempts at murder and its dire consequences. But it is played out with not a shred of wit or tension. Key plot points beggar belief: that jittery, pill-taking Terry knows how to play poker or that any loan-shark would allow him to build up such a huge debt; that Uncle Howard, having global resources including businesses in China, would have to resort to his witless nephews to get him out of a jam; and that two basically decent and humble blokes would so readily commit murder.
It's all contrivance, and Allen does none of the things required in a movie to establish verisimilitude. There's no comment on the lives of the two young men and scenes involving Atwell and her theatrical chums have no bite. Atwell is a major find, however, and like McGregor and Wilkinson, and the rest of a good cast, will go on to better things. Where Allen and Farrell go now is a sadder question.
CASSANDRA'S DREAM
Wild Bunch
An Iberville production
Director, writer: Woody Allen
Producers: Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum, Gareth Wiley
Executive producers: Vincent Maraval, Brahim Chioua, Daniel Wuhrman
Co-executive producers: Jack Rollins, Charles H. Joffe
Director of photography: Vilmos Zsigmond
Production designer: Maria Djurkovic
Music: Philip Glass
Co-producers: Helen Robin, Nicky Kentish Barnes
Costume designer: Jill Taylor
Editor: Alisa Lepselter
Cast:
Ian: Ewan McGregor
Terry: Colin Farrell
Angela: Hayley Atwell
Kate: Sally Hawkins
Howard: Tom Wilkinson
Martin Burns: Phil Davis
Father: John Benfield
Mother: Clare Higgins
Boat owner: Peter Hugo-Daly
Lucy: Ashley Medekwe
Jerry: Andrew Howard
Terry's track mate: Keith Smee
Mel: Stephen Noonan
Fred: Dan Carter
Director: Richard Lintern
Helen: Jennifer Higham
Mike: Lee Whitlock
Estate agent: Michael Harm
Dora: Emily Gilchrist
Bernard: George Richmond
Burns' mother: Phyllis Roberts
Burns' date: Tamzin Outhwaite
Angela's mother: Cate Fowler
Angela's father: David Horovitch
Jaguar owner: Matt Bardock
Garage boss: Jim Carter
Nigel: Paul Gardner
Eisley: Mark Umbers
Servant: Maggie McCarthy
Poker players: Hugh Rathbone, Allan Ramsey, Paul Davis, Terry Budin Jones, Franck Viano, Tommy Mack, Milo Bodrozic
Detectives: Richard Graham, Ross Boatman
No MPAA rating, running time 108 minutes.
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