Cassandra's Dream, Woody Allen's latest excursion to the dark side of human nature, is good enough that you may wonder why he doesn't just stop making comedies once and for all. Perhaps that's heretical, but it's the view of someone who has accompanied Allen on all his recent follies, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion included, and has too often heard her own laughter die gurgling in her throat from a lack of inspiration. There's nothing remotely funny about Cassandra's Dream, save perhaps that immodest title.
As with his last two films, Match Point and Scoop, Cassandra's Dream takes place in a movie-made London where the picturesque streets can turn into noirish dead ends. A well-matched Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell play Ian and Terry, brothers in blood and deed. Somewhat flash, with natty suits and a jaunty walk, Ian helps run their father's struggling restaurant; Terry, in turn, works in a garage where the grease creeps under his nails and stays there. Ian dreams of making it big in real estate, while Terry banks on the dog races and the poker table. They're good boys, nice guys, eager to please, fast to smile and as dedicated to each other as to the idea of family.
That idea is put to the cruel test when each brother exceeds his grasp - Ian by sleeping outside his class, Terry by losing large at cards - and both turn to their elusive, wealthy uncle for help. Dropped clumsily into the drama, Uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson) is a classic deus ex machina who exists simply to push Terry and Ian toward their fates. He doesn't make much sense (he swings into London abruptly), but he doesn't have to; he just has to provide the means for two ordinary men to transform into tragic characters. It's an old story and it fits Allen's pessimism nicely, in part because it's the kind of old story that predates the modern condition and the therapeutic jabber of which he has been so fond.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF SERENITY
Cassandra's Dream owes more to Oedipus Rex than to the Oedipus complex (and something to Claude Chabrol), which doesn't mean that you can't put Ian and Terry on the couch. By all means, do. But the pleasures of this modest film are right on the surface, in the upward curve of McGregor's lips and the reverse lines of Farrell's anguish. Like Allen's instrumental visual style, McGregor's easygoing turn takes time getting used to, partly because, as is almost always the case with this director, the actor seems to have been left to his own devices. But the performance sticks like a knife. It delivers force and feeling, as does Farrell, whose gentleness is seldom used well.
The rest of the cast fares less well, including Wilkinson, who never finds the right pitch for his character or the monstrous fury that his most pivotal scene demands. Allen sets this scene during a rainstorm, which echoes the similarly climactic moment in Match Point, when the secret lovers kiss and set destiny on its brutal path.
That US assistance was a model for Taiwan’s spectacular development success was early recognized by policymakers and analysts. In a report to the US Congress for the fiscal year 1962, former President John F. Kennedy noted Taiwan’s “rapid economic growth,” was “producing a substantial net gain in living.” Kennedy had a stake in Taiwan’s achievements and the US’ official development assistance (ODA) in general: In September 1961, his entreaty to make the 1960s a “decade of development,” and an accompanying proposal for dedicated legislation to this end, had been formalized by congressional passage of the Foreign Assistance Act. Two
Despite the intense sunshine, we were hardly breaking a sweat as we cruised along the flat, dedicated bike lane, well protected from the heat by a canopy of trees. The electric assist on the bikes likely made a difference, too. Far removed from the bustle and noise of the Taichung traffic, we admired the serene rural scenery, making our way over rivers, alongside rice paddies and through pear orchards. Our route for the day covered two bike paths that connect in Fengyuan District (豐原) and are best done together. The Hou-Feng Bike Path (后豐鐵馬道) runs southward from Houli District (后里) while the
March 31 to April 6 On May 13, 1950, National Taiwan University Hospital otolaryngologist Su You-peng (蘇友鵬) was summoned to the director’s office. He thought someone had complained about him practicing the violin at night, but when he entered the room, he knew something was terribly wrong. He saw several burly men who appeared to be government secret agents, and three other resident doctors: internist Hsu Chiang (許強), dermatologist Hu Pao-chen (胡寶珍) and ophthalmologist Hu Hsin-lin (胡鑫麟). They were handcuffed, herded onto two jeeps and taken to the Secrecy Bureau (保密局) for questioning. Su was still in his doctor’s robes at
Mirror mirror on the wall, what’s the fairest Disney live-action remake of them all? Wait, mirror. Hold on a second. Maybe choosing from the likes of Alice in Wonderland (2010), Mulan (2020) and The Lion King (2019) isn’t such a good idea. Mirror, on second thought, what’s on Netflix? Even the most devoted fans would have to acknowledge that these have not been the most illustrious illustrations of Disney magic. At their best (Pete’s Dragon? Cinderella?) they breathe life into old classics that could use a little updating. At their worst, well, blue Will Smith. Given the rapacious rate of remakes in modern
RSS