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Last spring saw the release of Misconduct on Blu-ray and DVD via Lionsgate, a film that will undoubtedly draw curious renters on the basis of its above-the-title cast. While the real star (in terms of screen time) is Josh Duhamel (William Lennox in the Transformers movies), looky-loos will be drawn by the presence of Al Pacino and Anthony Hopkins. This courtroom drama is hardly worth the time, with a confusing and slow-moving story that feels uninspired.
Directly from the Lionsgate press materials, here's the plot: "When an ambitious lawyer (Duhamel) is seduced by his ex-girlfriend (Malin Akerman) and presented with evidence incriminating a corrupt pharmaceutical executive that she works for, he finds himself caught in a power struggle between the pharmaceutical magnate (Hopkins) and his firm’s senior partner (Pacino). When the case takes a deadly turn, he must race to uncover the truth before he loses not only his wife (Alice Eve), but his career, and possibly his own life."
The directorial debut of Shintaro Shimosawa, Misconduct is a dull slog. Between Shimosawa and screenwriters Adam Mason and Simon Boyes, not much suspense is generated in a film that desperately needed it. Worse than the numbing plot mechanics, the filmmakers have failed to give Hopkins and Pacino anything to sink their teeth into. It's amazing they're in this film—surely these vets must be offered far more interesting scripts on a regular basis. Both of them fall back on their well-established personas, with Pacino mugging a la Scent of a Woman and Hopkins generally underplaying.
Lionsgate's Blu-ray is technically sound, with Michael Fimognari's moodily lit digital cinematography looking sharp. Prolific Argentinian composer Federico Jusid's score is properly highlighted in the lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround mix.
For those looking to dig deeper into Misconduct, there's a 15-minute 'making of' and a few minutes of unrevealing deleted scenes. The Blu-ray package also includes a Digital HD copy.
Directly from the Lionsgate press materials, here's the plot: "When an ambitious lawyer (Duhamel) is seduced by his ex-girlfriend (Malin Akerman) and presented with evidence incriminating a corrupt pharmaceutical executive that she works for, he finds himself caught in a power struggle between the pharmaceutical magnate (Hopkins) and his firm’s senior partner (Pacino). When the case takes a deadly turn, he must race to uncover the truth before he loses not only his wife (Alice Eve), but his career, and possibly his own life."The directorial debut of Shintaro Shimosawa, Misconduct is a dull slog. Between Shimosawa and screenwriters Adam Mason and Simon Boyes, not much suspense is generated in a film that desperately needed it. Worse than the numbing plot mechanics, the filmmakers have failed to give Hopkins and Pacino anything to sink their teeth into. It's amazing they're in this film—surely these vets must be offered far more interesting scripts on a regular basis. Both of them fall back on their well-established personas, with Pacino mugging a la Scent of a Woman and Hopkins generally underplaying.
Lionsgate's Blu-ray is technically sound, with Michael Fimognari's moodily lit digital cinematography looking sharp. Prolific Argentinian composer Federico Jusid's score is properly highlighted in the lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround mix.For those looking to dig deeper into Misconduct, there's a 15-minute 'making of' and a few minutes of unrevealing deleted scenes. The Blu-ray package also includes a Digital HD copy.
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