Writer/Director Woody Allen once more explores the nature of guilt and self-loathing in this drama about criminal brothers. Like his recent films Scoop and Match Point, this one takes place in England and highlights seemingly civilized characters who find themselves in moral dilemmas. Ewan McGregor is the ambitious, focused brother while Colin Farrell turns in his finest performance to date as the conscience-striken habitual gambler. (I've always wondered why this actor is a leading man, and now at last see some talent there). Tom Wilkinson has a small but important role as the Uncle asking the boys to commit a terrible crime. The acting is good, some of the dialogue writing and cinematography of London interesting. There's what has become the typical vapid young actress (Hayley Atwell) so frequent the femme fatale to some character in most recent Allen movies. The real problem here is we've seen this can-you-get-away-with-murder story before in his far superior Crimes and Misdemeanors and nothing feels fresh or original. Two hats, it'll play fine on DVD...where much better Woody Allen movies (like Crimes and Misdemeanors and the under-rated Sweet and Lowdown) are to be found.
