REVIEWS NEWS INTERVIEWS OTHER

(1 - 24) of 24 OFCS Rating: 70% Fresh Page   1   "Antonio's shirt is ripped open, to expose Irons' thin chest, his body suddenly a map of his sorrow, his suffering."   PopMatters   Cynthia Fuchs C+ "A solid production that tries to overcome as best as it can its flaws, which include its anti-Semitic caricature of the Shylock."   Ozus' World Movie Reviews   Dennis Schwartz "A designedly cinematic adaptation that pulls off the task of speaking to today's general audience."   ReelTalk Movie Reviews   Donald J. Levit B "The Merchant of Venice is a not a perfect play, but it is a good one. And the same can be said for Radford's version of it."   EricDSnider.com   Eric D. Snider B- "A respectable attempt to deal with the issues the text raises in a way that minimizes the potential offensiveness without unduly diluting its power."   One Guy's Opinion   Frank Swietek 3/5 "Boasts a sterling performance by Lynn Collins as an enchanting Portia who makes the most of her beauty and her brains."   Spirituality and Practice   Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat C "Radford has made a grim drama with some incomprehensible moments of failed levity."   Mixed Reviews   Gabriel Shanks 2.5/4 "Intriguing but ultimately unfulfilling."   ReelViews   James Berardinelli 3/4 "A smart, respectful work that's well-turned by seasoned veterans."   Palo Alto Weekly   Jeanne Aufmuth 2/4 "Transforms Shakespeare’s most complex works into a morass of paralyzing drudgery."   Slant Magazine   Jeremiah Kipp 64/100 "Pacino's performance is worth the ticket price alone, but don't expect a film that'll encourage a Shakespearian revival; it's far too uninspired for that."   FilmFocus   Joe Utichi C+ "Setting an historical fact in opening subtitles...may prepare the audience for what many view as an anti-Semitic work, but it does not address the play's tonal disjointedness"   Reeling Reviews   Laura Clifford 6/10 "Michael Radford tries valiantly but only semi-successfully to subvert and redirect Shakespeare's intent. Pacino is much less appropriate for historical roles."   rec.arts.movies.reviews   Mark R. Leeper "Only Al Pacino, badly miscast as Shylock, is a crushing disappointment, one that weighs down the whole production with the air of a vanity project gone bad."   Flick Filosopher   MaryAnn Johanson 3.5/5 "The usurer’s shifty moral character drives the movie, even if you’ve read the play before, and Pacino (over)acts accordingly"   Filmcritic.com   Pete Croatto 0.5/5 "Not only is this the worst film of the year, but it is also the worst Shakespeare film ever made."   Film Threat   Phil Hall 3.5/5 "Radford that draws out the cultural context of the period and the emotions in the story."   Shadows on the Wall   Rich Cline 3.5/4 "The screenplay is lean and powerful and the direction deft."   Laramie Movie Scope   Robert Roten 4.5/5 "Adapted with a careful craftsmanship and a stunning eye for detail, Radford's Merchant should prove a worthwhile experiment to all the Bard-heads out there."   eFilmCritic.com   Scott Weinberg 8/10 "...Al Pacino's powerful, poignant performance is matched by most of the supporting cast - and photographer Benoit Delhomme's Venetian visuals are dazzling."   Modamag.com   Susan Granger 3.5/4 "The best film version of a Shakespearean play since Julie Taymor's Titus."   Reel.com   Timothy Knight 1.5/4 "Tonally dyspeptic and distracting."   Film Freak Central   Walter Chaw "Click here to see review"   Wolf Entertainment Guide   William Wolf 8/10 "Al Pacino's powerful, poignant performance is matched by most of the supporting cast..."   www.susangranger.com   Susan Granger  (1 - 24) of 24 OFCS Rating: 70% Fresh Page   1