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Terry's (Colin Farrell) deep in debt from a card game, and his brother Ian (Ewan McGregor) needs some money to invest in hotels and whisk his new actress girlfriend Angela (Hayley Atwell) from London to California. But when the guys ask rich uncle Howard (Tom Wilkinson) for help, he asks for something in return: that they knock off one of his colleagues whose testimony could put him in prison.

Big question: Can writer-director Woody Allen make "Dream" as sexy and sinister as his "Match Point"?

Skip it: A bit more interesting than the disappointing "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead," "Cassandra's Dream" at least considers the moral dilemma behind the characters' tough decisions, rather than becoming a series of panicky, cold-hearted decisions. Still, Allen fumbles the execution of a decent setup, with an end to this downward spiraling tragedy that's as puny as the filmmaker himself.

Catch it: Howard agrees to introduce Angela to his movie industry friends because "contacts never hurt an aspiring talent." And as Ashlee Simpson proves, they also help people without any talent at all!

Bottom line: The film's attempts at realism—the target's mother leaves a message for him while killers wait in his empty house—also dampen the suspense, which leaves the otherwise competent actors hung out to try. They're left only with the question of where loyalty ends and self-interest begins, but "Cassandra's Dream" never takes hold of your pulse and doesn't know anything that you don't about family bonds and looking out for number one.

Bonus: Ian states that if you look at anything too closely, you're bound to see "ugly imperfections." Remind yourself of this next time you're feeling insecure, because nobody's flawless!

mpais@tribune.com

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