The Merchant of Venice

This definitely ranks in the category of one of the best pictures that I have seen this year. Although it leaves out parts of the story (as most adaptations have to), Al Pacino is great as Shylock, Jeremy Irons as Antonio, Joseph Fiennes as Bassanio and Lynn Collins as Portia. The only down side to the movie, and it is a major downer in my opinion, is that for some reason they feel the need to present Venice as the home of bare chested prostitutes... and they seem to inhabit large parts of the town... the movie would have been just fine without it... Imagine that! If you are a big fan of Shakespeare, you will enjoy the "If you prick us do we not bleed, if you tickle us do we not laugh" monologue that Pacino performs well. The scene where Portia disguises herself as the doctor is fantastic. The interplay between her and Shylock is well worth the movie. However, if you want to protect your eyes, you may want to take a pass on it.