There was a time when any film starring both Anthony Hopkins and Al Pacino would have got a lot more publicity. There would almost certainly be pre-release awards talk. Unfortunately, the only publicity Misconduct got was because it took a paltry £100 on its first weekend on release.
Whilst I can’t deny that is pretty desperate, the fact is that it was only shown on a handful of screens and was only released at cinemas at all to add some prestige to the title and to gain reviews in the national press, in order to help rentals in its simultaneous on demand release.
So, did it deserve to fare that badly? Probably not, as it’s a perfectly serviceable thriller that admittedly has a direct to video feel and a few glaring problems that prevent it from being any more than a decent time-filler. The story of a lawyer, Ben Cahill, (Josh Duhamel) trying to uncover evidence of corruption in big business, only to get in way over his head, is nothing new, but the bones of the story are in place.
However, director Shintaro Shimosawa and writers Simon Boyes and Adam Mason try to squeeze in too many story threads – including a mysterious biker character and a domestic sub-plot that add nothing. Far more time should have been given to Ben trying to clear his name when on-the-run. The attempt to insert a twist ending doesn’t convince and there is a stunningly bad performance by a stilted Alice Eve as Ben’s wife.
Pacino and Hopkins only share one scene together, and that is just about the best one in the film. Pacino has a nice opportunity to quote some Shakespeare text, which he does with casual brilliance. Otherwise the pair are fine, and truth be told, they’ve been living on their reputations for years. Hopkins has made one decent film this century – Hitchcock, and Pacino last made a big impression in the Merchant of Venice back in 2004.
So, a diverting enough watch, Duhamel is good in the lead role, but it is hardly essential.
Rating: 5.5 out of 10