Nightmare! A bunch of gloomy cheaters in the company of depressed ladies showed how absurd the imagination of Hollywood screenwriters can reach, who by rocking the characters to an unnatural state wished to achieve a tragic effect.
Immediately striking their excessive preoccupation with psychological and emotional problems, which, due to their extreme complexity, well, can not be sympathized. Heroes put in such circumstances are worthy of sincere regret, or rather not heroes, but actors playing their heroes.
Women here simply do not know how to love - they either kill for their own peace, or, to prove love, engage in extortion. Men, on the contrary, some, concerned about their reputation, can only mock, others, because of the desire to jump up the career ladder, climb out of their skin to achieve the position of the first. All of them are immersed in some terrible and hopeless dream called - ' legal field'.
If you look closely, no character can withstand any criticism and is absolutely not suitable for the exposure of well-known vices. To take them seriously is to insult oneself in a common sense, and if they are suitable for anything, it is only for the image that reality, under the influence of an exaggerated imagination, becomes a disgusting bedlam. It was the first time I saw a movie without a single, less-worthy positive hero.
Better to go too far than not to go at all. Stop. It’s better not to start!
Shintaro Shimosawa. That name won't tell you anything. The names are Anthony Hopkins and Al Pacino. Someone else will be called Josh Duhamel, Malin Ackerman, Alice Eve, Julia Stiles... Actors are many times more popular than the director, but the most interesting thing is that they also do not cling to.
Worse than a lie is when they try to slip two masters of cinema for the price of one, settle around them young people at the price of French fries and sauce, sprinkle a dish with dead intrigue and serve on the table with the exclamation: "Foie gras!", when there is not foie gras, but a poisoned burger. Worse than a lie – when no plot is tried to promote with the help of the cast, and it looks not just deceptive, looks more like a poisonous spit in the face of an audience hungry for detective masterpieces. After all, worse than a lie is if the director takes the worst place in a film... and when the director fails, he pulls everyone along.
But initially, such indigestible porridge prepared us scriptwriters. The story, which practices stamping on the stamp, tries to wrap around itself five times, changing the expectations of the viewer, and in the end we get some incomprehensible mix, where no topic is revealed to the victorious end. The pharmacological scam is still in full swing. Fatal love blows closer to the middle. The confrontation between the two powerful old men deflates towards the end, but, however, it was already lame on both legs. At the center of all this is a young lawyer whose marriage is like an overcooked cupcake - and the topic of his love for his wife is also terribly lame, but ... does not deflate. The final twist is the only decent scene in the film, as if it had been ripped from somewhere else.
Shintaro Shimosawa (does his surname lean or not?) doesn’t manage to combine several storylines with each other, partly because none of them is well thought out, and also because none of them is reproduced properly. The scenes, one to one, breathe boredom, and in the vicissitudes of the plot I want to understand, then to hell send all this nonsense! But it happens that successful people save a bad scenario, right? In this case, no way. Anthony Hopkins and Al Pacino enjoy their retirement as much as they can and make absolutely no attempts to be above the main lineup. They're pretty comfortable.
It seems that the plots of some detective and legal TV series, and those that have very low ratings, are more interesting than this film. Here we first see the groundwork for an intriguing thriller about the “rich and influential bastards”, which turns into a murky routine, unable to indicate the main message and rushing from one trouble to another. So if Shintaro Shimosawa doesn’t do anything else in his life, the world will lose another director who makes sleeping pills. Is that worse than lying?
In fact, the plot could be made of candy. After all, the dark business in the largest profitable industry is already a good seed. Yes, and turning lines can give the plot a lot of necessary collisions, and with a successful coincidence, the film will play with shades that will help the actors and the crew to create a strong project.
What I liked: strangely enough, an idea. There was something elusive about the idea that you could say with confidence, oh, they can! However, the farther into the woods, it came to be understood that there would not be an acute thrilling moment, as it was in a film of a similar nature with Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow (forgot the title!). For why? The answer is simple: the script is broken. And casting (with actresses here unlucky, I must admit) failed. In addition, it was difficult for the director to take the lead (the feeling that he was driven and broken during the entire shooting process).
As a result, it did not turn out the main, in my opinion, the coupling of the plot with acting capabilities. Hence the boredom.
There are two ways to achieve success: take and do, and watch and learn.
It's better to watch old movies. What about the actors? Hopkins, as always. It's embarrassing. Repeat? Not really. He just has nowhere to turn in this movie. Al Pacino is predictable, rather because he’s had a lot of movies like that. Duhamel is good, shows a willingness to do something. But nothing more. Girls don't get hooked at all.
High expectations are a major human problem. If the cover claims great actors, then the film must be a masterpiece, and if not, let’s throw it in the trash, generously rewarding everyone involved with it, the most unflattering epithets. The most mediocre films are often praised simply because no one expected anything good from them. And as always, it is not without the homegrown Sherlocks and Miss Marple, for whom from the first minute of any film its finale is quite obvious. It remains to be wondered why they are still sitting in front of screens and not running to write their non-trivial scripts in order to save themselves and all of us from mortal boredom.
For the first serious work of the director and inexperienced writers, the film is not as bad as it is written about and, if you do not think that it should be a cocktail of “Devil’s Advocate” and “Silence of the Lambs” in one bottle, you may even like the film. In any case, you can not call him boring. Try to just enjoy watching instead of counting the director’s mistakes.
7 out of 10
On paper, the script probably looked juicy. An ambitious lawyer (Josh Duhamel) is at the center of a power struggle between the head of a corrupt pharmaceutical company (Anthony Hopkins) and his firm's senior partner (Al Pacino). But Worse Than Lies is performed in such a clumsy way that it becomes unclear to me how agents lured Anthony Hopkins and Al Pacino into the project.
First, Worse Than Lies is the directorial debut of Shintaro Shimosawa, the producer of American versions of Curses. Most of Shintaro’s filmography consists of low-budget horror films, many of which the Russian audience has not heard of. And the director did not know where to go - in the drama about a young lawyer, or in the world of crimes of plutocrats.
Second, story problems. Lawyer Ben strives to get out in people, make life easier for himself and his young hardworking wife. If you take this attitude as a motivator for the actions of the hero, then he commits many wrong actions for the wrong reasons. It's not a character that cares about his wife and his cube, it's some crazy person. Not to mention a large number of blunders (a lawsuit is prepared for months, then for a week). The overall storyline looks like it was pieced together from different legal thrillers. It should also be noted that some elements of the painting are shamelessly stolen from the painting Presumption of Innocence (1990).
Acting. Hopkins plays like an "autopilot" (still with a strange sinister aura). Al Pacino is better but more cartoonish (he rotates his eyes madly and experiments with overplay). However, they are still the best in this picture. Duhamel frankly cheats, his image does not fit with acting (Josh is too “vanilla”).
Conclusion. Many admit that the strength of "Lies" is acting. I have always believed that actors should play in movies. It's their duty and their job. An actor can play in a room without a set or a green screen, and create the magic of a movie. But in order to create conditions for outstanding acting, the work of a director and screenwriter is necessary. Perhaps this is the root of Worse Than Lies. It is not enough to lure eminent and talented actors into the project. Even with all their talent, they will not pull out a weak script and a talentless production.
I've always been interested in seeing John Milton and Hannibal Lecter in the same movie. And now, thanks to the directorial debut of Shintaro Shimosawa, my dream came true.
When I was little, I just looked at psychological thrillers like The Devil's Advocate and The Silence of the Lambs. Although, to tell you the truth, I didn’t understand them as deeply as I did when I watched those movies years ago. And I agree with many movie connoisseurs who call these films "standards" of the genre. And now, many years later, these two characters met in the same film.
Of course I'm exaggerating. The characters Hopkins and Pacino have different names in this film, but the wild temper that these actors show on the big screen unwittingly brings me back to my childhood. Two noble masters radiate such energy that from the very beginning you can not figure out who is good and who is bad. And going forward, even after the final credits, you're going to keep asking yourself that question. Each of them creates an image on the screen, which has its own steel character and causes very vivid emotions in the viewer.
To figure out who is good and who is a villain in this film forced the hero Josh Duhamel – a young lawyer, which life throws unexpected surprises. Josh fit perfectly into the screen trio. Looking at his sufferings and experiences, you begin to believe him and by the middle of the film you catch yourself thinking that everything that happens is really addictive and it becomes interesting how it will end.
The director of the film masterfully created intrigue and honestly, I was confused when I saw the ending! I couldn't have imagined that. Despite the detective-thriller plot, the film also has enough action scenes, with which the main characters cope with hurrah. But the main thing here is still not fights and chases, but tension, which skillfully creates great characters and a good script.
I think for Josh Duhamel it's the most difficult film of his career. Because playing in conjunction with such a strong duet of professionals is always difficult. But I can honestly say that Josh did it. He did not allow Pacino and Hopkins to pull the blanket over himself and completely capture the attention of the audience. Everything in the film is finely tuned, every element and every character in its place. Even Julia Stiles jumps over her head and creates the incredible image that I’ve been waiting for her for a long time.
The result was a wonderful, atmospheric, tense thriller about real male showdowns in the world of big money. And don’t forget, the main highlight of the film is that you yourself need to understand: who really is the main villain? Whose side will you take? I strongly recommend watching fans of a good thriller - the film is likely to firmly take a place in the ranks of samples of the genre!
I'll start with translation. The localizers tried again. Misconduct can be translated as “official crime”. This title reflects the essence of the film. Next up. Alas and ah!
Recently, it seems that there is an epidemic of bad movies on planet Earth. Great directors make lame films, and great actors play in second-rate films. I initially thought that I was waiting for a drama-thriller like “Devil’s Advocate”. Expectations for the film were very high. But from the first minute I realized that I was facing another fake. I don't understand why actors of the size of Hopkins and Pacino are in passing films with a debutant director. What drives them? Is it money? Or does old age really exist? In Hopkins, first, "The Kidnapping of Heinnicken" and "Consolation", in Pacino - "Manglhorn" and "Second Chance" make you think that grandfathers in old age do not have enough time to read the scripts and they go where they call. And now this couple has already joined forces in this ... ram, which is difficult to call an interesting film.
Duhamel has the main role here and he is clearly trying, but the impression is that two masters play him out and mock him, so the attempts of the young actor fade against their background. And it turns out that some do not reach, the second pull. There's a void in the middle. Questions for the film while watching more and more, very sorry to watch this spectacle. And neither Stiles nor Eve (faceless ladies with zero emotions) decorate this film, but only spoil – their characters are so indistinct.
The storyline is insanely slurred, the narrative is intermittent and confusing: sometimes it is difficult to catch the subtleties of what is happening. Secondary characters come out of nowhere, then disappear into nowhere. Although the beginning of the film was promising, all further "unnecessary ponts" (biker-killer, shooting on the kneecaps unnecessary) brought the entire initial fuse to naught. And the final scene with Pacino smacks of playfulness and belated “sore” for regrettable belonging to this creation.
Honestly, the film was more annoyed by the actions of the characters and the ridiculousness of what was happening than frankly disliked. Of course, you can watch it, but I warn you right away: the film is absolutely empty, which shows us neither a good acting, nor an interesting story - nothing new. It is a shame for the pillars of Hollywood - their time is probably gone.
4 out of 10
Only a fearless man can stand up to a rich corporation that can eliminate any, even the most powerful enemy, not to mention a humble lawyer who has tried to expose the powerful. Dramatic thriller “Worse than a lie” with Josh Duhamel clearly demonstrates what turns the life of a “little” man who decided at all costs to prove a large-scale crime of an influential businessman whose name enjoys an impeccable reputation. Having set foot on the road of dangerous confrontation, lawyer Ben Cahill rightly believed that public outcry would protect him from unnecessary trouble, but games with the devil do not pass without a trace. Cahill’s opponent can turn his life into a real hell, and now no one can give the hero security guarantees.
In addition to Josh Duhamel, who played one of the most difficult roles in his career, it is necessary to note the outstanding performance of veterans of Hollywood cinema Al Pacino and Anthony Hopkins. The first had the opportunity to embody the image of a sophisticated gray-haired lawyer, an older comrade and mentor of the ambitious Cahill. As for Anthony Hopkins, the brilliant Briton is no stranger to playing ambiguous, frightening, literally staring at the antagonists who are able to do simply terrifying things with cold eyes looking into the very soul. Pacino and Hopkins perfectly complemented the story, gave it a true gloss and unceremoniously stole a couple of scenes with Duhamel, reminding fans that the title of legends of dramatic cinema is so easy not to deserve.
Putting the magnitudes on the story board, the director twisted such a complex intrigue that we have to work hard. And not always the right guesses come on time. The plot takes us in one direction, and then tilts sharply to the side and we can only wonder how we did not notice the truth in the first place. Some of the characters are so unexpected that I wanted to applaud. And here again it is worth noting the acting of the masters and their talented young colleagues who are able to hide amazing revelations behind a charming smile.
Worse Than Lies is a tough, tense, thriller in which the intrigue swirls like a spring and shoots with all its force in a dramatic finale that simply fails to leave us indifferent.
Before watching this movie, she asked herself a question from the title of the film – “What is really worse than a lie?” There were plenty of answers, so I was quick to read the content.
It turned out that the film is not so much about human lies (of course, it is present here in a large volume), but about how to adequately respond to this deception and then make the right choice in your life position and find the courage to respond to the offenders. This film is about a bright young lawyer who, in addition to trying to finish the most important business of his life, also wants to deal with the problems in his family.
Now directly to the pluses of the movie. It has everything! A very tense plot, the main character with excellent motivation, a brilliant cast, thoroughly prescribed dialogues and a very dynamic denouement.
Now to the stars of the movie. Here, in addition to the star of “Transformers” and the beautiful TV series “11/22/63” Josh Duhamel and promising actress Alison Reeve (“Star Trek: Retribution”), there are a couple of great masters, hearing the names of which, immediately want to quit and run to watch the movie headlong! This is Mr. Al Pacino and Sir Anthony Hopkins. And if you think that they take and begin to draw all the attention only to themselves, then you are deeply mistaken. Rather, these “sharks” of the film industry add power to the narrative, forcing the viewer to follow their brilliant acting with a sinking heart.
As a result, you will see a high-quality action-packed criminal detective about the fight of a valiant lawyer with the irresistible forces of business, where the main task is not to lose your face and dignity. All fans of “Lincoln for Lawyer” will definitely like it.
7 out of 10
P.s. The scene with Lee Ben Hong and Duhamel is gorgeous. I want to revisit it as soon as the picture is finished.
How cool the cinematographers played here! Hopkins, who is most successful in such roles, looks amazing in the role of a good-natured old man who embodies almost the very evil! And Al Pacino radiates such alarming energy that you can’t tell if he’s good or bad. But believe me, the movie won’t give you any answers. First, you will have to analyze the events and draw a conclusion for yourself. This is the right choice that attracts me to similar dramas.
I read in the movie reviews that the plot is too simple. I don’t know if I’m stupid or Sherlock Holmes saw the movie, it was a surprise. And very strong, logical and slightly shocking. After seeing it, I realized, Damn, this is how life always happens. You never know who to believe and who not.
I also want to mention Josh Duhamel, who for me personally in this film is perfectly revealed. He looked very convincing in the role of a young lawyer, to whom life presents unpleasant surprises. If he continues to progress, it is very likely that we will soon get a new dramatic star. The film devotes as much time to the main character's relationship with his wife and mistress - this is a very important point and I will tell you that the women played great. So intricate a tangle of relationships created that by the middle of the film you begin to consider yourself a dummy.
Despite the fact that the film has an incredible number of directors, screenwriters and it is not really clear who and how he made it, the result was quite an interesting, logically completed film without sagging. There is no need to get bored – what is the scene in a deserted city with a motorcyclist? If there are any shortcomings in the film, they do not go beyond the limits of permissible for this genre of films.
As a result, I want to advise the film to fans of tense thrillers, such as “Game”, “Firm”, “Seven” and others. You will definitely immerse yourself in the right atmosphere, delve into the plot and in the end be sure to make your own personal conclusions. I would also like to note that the movie is quite instructive. Therefore, I will directly recommend the film to those who want to see how dark things are done in real life.
After this journey, you will no longer be the same.
Few actors are able to attract the attention of the audience with just the names printed on the poster. When we see Al Pacino and Anthony Hopkins in the same movie, it’s extremely difficult to dismiss the masters’ collaboration and switch to some other movie. Even in frankly unassuming projects, the stars of The Godfather and Silence of the Lambs give out such a powerful game that it covers almost any drawbacks of the production from directing to the faded game of screen partners. Previously, Pacino and Hopkins only met at status parties, where they always exchanged friendly handshakes, and finally came the hour when they got into a joint picture, whose synopsis proved more than attractive. The film “Worse than a lie” became a full-fledged Hollywood debut of screenwriter Shintaro Shimosawa, involved in the creation of several rating series (“Smallville Mysteries”, “4400”), and relying on his many years of experience, the new director tried to build the plot of the film in such a way that the audience remained in suspense until the very end and lost in guesses, what fate awaits the main character.
So, meet Ben Cahill (Josh Duhamel), a successful young lawyer who has a great opportunity to make a name for himself in a high-profile trial. An ambitious lawyer was not afraid to take up the case of a major billionaire Arthur Denning (Anthony Hopkins), accused of forging the results of a study of a pharmaceutical product, because of which a group of innocent people prematurely left our world. With zeal for the investigation, Cahill faced a frightening reality: you cannot penetrate the world of secrets and secrets of the highest standard while remaining with a clear conscience and confidence in your own safety. From now on, the hero will have to forget about calm nights, because a hunt begins for his head, in which, as befits every intrigue, a charming woman is involved. Cahill gets into a maelstrom of disturbing events and at a certain point he realizes that for him personally, the victory in this case will not be a positive decision of the judge, but his own life and family well-being, hanging in the balance.
Taking a break in the filming of the franchise “Transformers”, Josh Duhamel believed that he could pull on his shoulders a tense dramatic plot, and did not lose. “Worse than a lie” shows that the actor of the entertainment genre under the power to compete in skill with Al Pacino and Anthony Hopkins. A young lawyer, played by Duhamel, tries not to get lost against the backdrop of two sharks of business directly responsible for his future. Fatal passion and night chases, aggressive negotiations in high offices and the collection of evidence – all this is ready to destroy Ben’s faith in real justice, but after all, he took up the job himself and is now unable to give it up. Walking the thin line that separates moral principles from the dishonest pursuit of fame, Josh Duhamel’s hero finally opens his eyes and sees the world as it is. And what is revealed to him cannot but be frightened. Duhamel was able to quite reliably show the lawyer Cahill as a changing hero over time. He develops, does not stand still, and closer to the end we see how his views have changed from a collision with a dangerous opponent, for whom the fate of people like Ben is nothing but an unnecessary obstacle that can be easily circumvented. But even ordinary pawns can sometimes give surprises! This should not be forgotten.
Separately, it is worth noting the magnificent supporting cast, on which the main emphasis was placed on the advertising campaign calling for the film. Al Pacino is as good as ever, of which there is no doubt. His role is ambivalent, he wants to believe and not at the same time. The cunning fox Pacino will never be left out of intrigue despite the side of the conflict he is involved in. His colleague Anthony Hopkins is no less striking. You can see that the honored "Hannibal Lecter" likes the image provided. Having built the character of billionaire Denning according to his unique vision, Hopkins brought to his collection another demon in the flesh, which is impossible to play without cutting. It is somewhat frustrating that there are not as many scenes of the two geniuses together as we would like, but even in this situation they complement each other’s play, becoming integral parts of Shintaro Shimosawa’s puzzle.
In the end, Worse Than Lies plays us no worse than Arthur Denning and Charles Abrams and Ben Cahill. You never know what awaits us in the next scene, the characters shoot bold antics, change facts, juggle human lives like circus balls. The closer the final gets, the more suspense heats up. In the world of luxury mansions, expensive cars and a knife behind your back, anything can happen. Do not lose vigilance, because a second of distraction costs too much.
8 out of 10
For this film there is no quote, so poor everything
Josh Duhamel, the actor, who, however, some call only as the husband of Fergie, the singer who became famous after the rebirth of the Black Eyed Peas... Alice Eve, who for many men has become almost the ideal of beauty and grace in the female sex. Malin Akerman, Swedish, former model, without hesitation naked on the screen, but, nevertheless, has some acting talent. Julia Stiles, who became famous for her role in “10 Reasons for My Hate”, where she showed what the genre of “teensplotation” is famous for, as well as for the adventures of Jason Bourne. Lee Byung-hong, who got the role of the famous T-1000 in Terminator: Genesis. And finally, the real monsters of Anthony Hopkins and Al Pacino! Should I tell you something about them? And the only question is, how did they all end up in this depressing movie Worse Than Lies? Not even, “What the hell are you doing there?”
Of course, their joint acting potential allowed us to think that this grief film will be more or less tolerable. And the presence of Hopkins and Pacino, knowing their merits, in general could lead to the euphoria of a potential viewer, but alas... The film was directed by Shintaro Shimosawa, who can only catch the fact that he was a co-producer in the creation of the first two parts of the mystical horror “The Curse” (its American version). But what is more striking is that such noble actors gave their consent to filming according to the script of the duo Simon Boyes and Adam Mason. They collectively wrote scripts for six films that, on average, will not collect a score of “5” on a ten-point scale! Experienced users of the resource immediately realize that their films do not deserve attention. Worse Than a Lie ("Misconduct), which could be translated as "A Judicial Offence") is built around lawyer Ben Cahill, who does not disdain forgery in his activities, but a new case against the powerful head of a pharmaceutical company leads him to a cruel world where his piece on the chessboard is valued less than a pawn.
At the same time, you can recall classic films with a similar genre characterization - for example, Michael Mann's film "Your Man", and of the latter - "The Defender" with Will Smith, for the role in which he was awarded the Golden Globe Award nomination (due to the fact that Will did not make the final shortlist for the Oscars, his wife and staged a butch about the biased attitude of the jury of the competition to the black population?). Yes, Al Pacino himself played a great role in the court drama “Justice for All”, but the film “Worse than a lie” is a complete failure. The tasteless drama with the elements of the thriller is so unsustained that it is like comparing the real Bordeaux with the port 777. No tension, some illogical actions of the characters of the tape, constant minting and absolute disbelief in the deductive abilities of the main character. The film also "marked" disgusting (really disgusting!) work of the operator and editor. And if they get a review as "disgusting," then everything else is "bad," but is that an achievement? I have not seen a more boring and improbable movie lately.
If you take into account the acting, then the sinister killer toy from the famous horror film “Children’s Games” is more convincing and even... more vital. Joshu Duhamel played, as they say, a stilt role, that is, walking-walking-running, and going “zero”. The way Duhamel played in Worse Than Lies can be set as an example of how actors can not play! Unless Ed Wood could have been admiring. Malin Ackerman will once again be noted only by the fact that her character will undress in front of the camera, and psychologically unstable people she is not given to play, the filmmakers could notice this by her disgusting performance in the comedy “The Girl of My Nightmares”. Alice Eve, it feels like she's starting to play like she's shy. Shintaro Shimosawa did not become a samurai with a stick and Alice Eve was only occasionally emotional, and so moved like a mannequin, may her fans forgive me after the film “Too Cool for You”. Julia Stiles even here showed that she fell to the roles of the second plan and even against the background of poorly played she looks no better, if not worse, and how well it all started with the actress! . .
Anthony Hopkins and Al Pacino? Fans of these incomparable actors, I count myself among the fans, please pass by this grief-film “Worse than a lie”, because the level of it is a direct road on “Direct-to-video”, that is, to go out immediately on various media, you can even throw out for free immediately on the Internet, but this film cannot go to cinemas! It's a disappointment. And this cast of actors... One of the worst films of 2016, so the maximum rating of this “creation”:
4 out of 10
“Worse Than Lies” first attracts with its composition (specifically, the presence of Al Pacino and Anthony Hopkins) and a plot from which it was possible to make something more or less watchable. But alas...
First about the plot: Duhamel’s hero, an ambitious lawyer, receives compromising material from his former girlfriend on the tycoon of the pharmaceutical market (Hopkins) and decides to use it for his promotion. With this idea, he goes to his boss (Pacino), who, having broken down a bit like a schoolgirl, gives the green light to the case. That’s basically all.
Then the script begins to develop somehow torn and out of place. Characters act illogically, their actions are incomprehensible, have no beginning and no end. Why a person did this and not otherwise will, in most cases, be unclear. None of the characters are fully disclosed.
The plot is cathostrophically dull and sags regularly. Sometimes you catch yourself thinking that the writers remade the plot literally on the set after the team “Motor!”. Take, for example, the moment when the main character is face to face with a motorcyclist. They're standing opposite each other and -- bam! -- our lawyer is already tied up in some old church. How? What happened between them? Don't ask. No answer. The writers didn't do their job. Or rather, they did, but very badly.
Actors: Al Pacino and Anthony Hopkins, these two mastadonts, brought only their names and an attempt to play something into the film. Although, they can just stand in the frame and be silent – this they can express more than other tearing ligaments. In the final scene, Pacino looked very miserable. And he said, "I'm sorry, sir."
Director: Dear Shintaro Shimosawa! Don't make a movie. Please!
This film is in many ways similar to “City of Vice”, which starred Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe and Catherine Zeta-Jones. A decent cast, which has both mastodons of Hollywood - Al Pacino and Anthony Hopkins, and pretty girls - Alice Eve, Malin Ackerman and Julia Stiles (although she is not very attractive here). In addition, there was also involved the star of “Transformers” Josh Duhamel.
The main similarity of these two films is the presence of a very decent actor and a rather weak implementation of the plot. Perhaps "Worse than a lie" turned out to be worse than expected in connection with the director - after all, the name Shintaro Shimosawa has not yet had time to prove itself from the positive side and is little known in wide film circles.
The main drawback of the film is to understand who is responsible for the death of one of the characters. If you have even a small reserve of deductive methods, you will easily understand this matter.
But at the same time, I will not criticize this picture, because I was pleased with what I saw. Yes, there are weaknesses, such as the events in the church and everything that followed, but Worse than a lie brings back memories of similar tapes, appearing as detectives with a touch of romanticism. Approximately, I can characterize my impression, noting that this movie is somewhat reminiscent of “Secrets of Los Angeles”, “Black Orchid” and “Game”. Maybe this is due to a certain slowness of events, or maybe something else. I don't know.
The film attracts attention because it is a kind of successor to Sidney Pollack’s “The Firm” and Taylor Hackfred’s “Devil’s Advocate”, in which dark affairs are also twisted outside the doors of large companies used to washing ordinary people into powder.
Quite interesting look deserted streets of New Orleans at night, where the main character is left alone with a mysterious stranger on a bike. It seems that the deserted grid of the city does not bode well and everyone who wants to stay alive must return home in the dark.
Not particularly liked the marital relationship of the characters Duhamel and Eve – somehow there is no feeling that their characters are bound by the knot. Even despite the difficulties in the relationship, they never snuggled up to each other - strange, in a word.
But look at you. I do not impose my opinion on anyone.
"Worse than a lie" - a caricature of the well-known thrillers of the 90s, where wives, girlfriends, mistresses and other lioness of rich, successful and promising guys start dangerous games and intrigues. For the director Shintaro Shimosawa, I think the song was sung in his career before he had time to start.
No, the film in terms of quality does not look like a typical “beshka”, in which actors of the level of Al Pacino and Anthony Hopkins are now frequent guests, but it is the incompetent directorship in tandem with the same dubious scriptwriters that cut any prospects from the shoulder. But that "Al Pacino" that "Hopkins" in their characters did not drown, in other words - their worst roles and projects in recent years we have seen.
Also, wild irritation is caused by the female part of this film, if you can still somehow reconcile with the wife of our main character-lawyer, then the heroine Malin Ackerman is something unclear on the screen. More surprising than this can only be the connection of this beauty and the character of Hopkins and her stunning in front of Josh Duhamel, who is so impressed with her effectiveness that actually starts the whole intrigue of the film.
Frankly bad film, with such a cast sometimes do not want to particularly scold such products, but the director Shintaro Shimosawa may have to draw significant conclusions based on the reaction of viewers and critics, and return back to the role of producer or screenwriter.
3 out of 10
Almost in the finale, one of the characters, revealing the intricacies of deception, casually mentioned Shakespeare (they say, not the height, but will also come down). The same phrase can be applied with a clear conscience to the whole action called "Bad behavior" (the original name of the tape). The film, having in its arsenal a solid basis, which is the story of an ambitious lawyer who dared to challenge a large company, and the attention-grabbing cast, in general, does not inflate to the scale of Shakespearean passions. And I doubt that this was the original attempt (though who knows...). But you can not boast of a more or less decent or at least acceptable result.
The quick beginning of the story about fraud in a large company, profiting from human lives, without delay and pauses introduces to the course of events, introduces the main characters. The viewer is already anticipating an interesting investigation with its riddles and shocking details, but half an hour passes - and the story, unfortunately, slowly but surely begins to slide into something incomprehensible, suffering from unnecessary logical holes, schematically drawn realities and characters, which only gives rise to questions and doubts the veracity of what is happening on the screen. Another set of cliches and cliches, the absence of lively intrigue, playing on nerves, lethargy and even some superficiality in the image reduce the picture to a level where a good story only promised to be. The case is hardly saved by the venerable actors Anthony Hopkins and Al Pacino, a priori possessing the magnetism that is able to literally chain the viewer to the screen. Appearing for a maximum of 10-15 minutes, they, alas, do not work magic - do not draw the story, do not give it a special charm. Josh Duhamel, who was entrusted with the main role, is in no hurry to justify the trust - does not demonstrate proper skill, which, in general, does not contribute to the emergence of empathy, sympathy for the character, and, consequently, involvement in events flashing on the screen.
I think it is unlikely that the creators, having assembled the film crew, gave the go-ahead for something gray, inconspicuous or incomprehensible. Surely, the presentation was at least a strong, skillfully twisted thriller with detective intersperses, but, unfortunately, the output was almost raw, not really worked out movie, which risks becoming a pass for most of the audience. Only in the absence of excessive claims and high expectations it becomes possible to get a portion of pleasure from what is happening on the big screen.
5 out of 10
Quite often in recent years there are feature films that have almost everything to create a successful and worthy picture (an interesting idea, an impressive cast, etc.) do not always act out these very shots in a successful combination. Either consciously “meaning” all expectations, or simply not having the necessary acumen to implement such a thing. It is very difficult to determine what was the fatal diagnosis of this film directed by Shintaro Shimosawa . But one thing is clear from the very beginning - it turned out to be a frankly weak film, but it could have turned out much better.
The very idea of the picture develops quite interesting and promising, but the further the plot develops, the more much the degree of trust is lost regarding the events and expectations taking place on the screen. Thus, having started the narrative quite cheerfully, the film is so much fond of the selection of various cliches and genre cliches that it almost forgets about any measures and is given to this hobby absolutely and completely. Hence, it is not surprising that when viewing the tape, it is possible to draw analogies with a huge number of different films and due to this, the plot of the picture itself is unable to shock or surprise. Even seemingly designed to shock the final picture has a rather peculiar impression and not the best. The film itself is also shot as if according to a template and this fully betrays the lack of directorial experience of the director of the picture Shintaro Shimosawa.
The main or less bright spot of the picture is the cast, which perhaps contributes to the fact that would watch the film to its logical end. Basically, the participation in the film of two “dinosaurs” of Hollywood actors Al Pacino and Anthony Hopkins. Both actors are far from in their best form both in terms of appearance and play, but certainly played the best and set the pace for younger partners.
Josh Duhamel the whole film tries to give out a more or less interesting game, but alas, it does not cope with this task at all. Moreover, only openly playing on the nerves of his character on the screen. Much more interesting in his image looks Malin Akerman, which confidently blended into the image of a sexually liberated and not quite mentally normal person. Much weaker was shown by Alice Eve, who, being a rather not bad actress, alas, did not reveal herself due to a frankly weak script. A similar impression is caused by the Korean superstar Lee Byung-Hon, who is also a good actor, alas, is deprived by the creators of the chance to truly shine on the screen. Julie Stiles so completely entrusted frankly episodic role, which is not even remembered.
3 out of 10
Worse than a lie is a movie that turns out to be even worse than an ordinary popcorn project. It's a really weak scenario that could have turned into something much more interesting. Very impressive cast, which is simply not given the opportunity to reveal on the screen their full potential. As a result, a film that is extremely interesting to watch even at the first viewing.
The filmmakers have collected a wonderful collection of star actors in a twisted psychological drama.
I don’t know why the movie has such a low rating. To me, he looked in one breath. Perhaps the film seems disparate due to the fact that each hero of the film is the main character.
A millionaire, a prominent lawyer, a poor and ambitious lawyer, a workaholic wife, a mistress and a strange Korean. There are a lot of figures on one board. Everyone has their own truth and their own lies.
Where does good end and evil begin? A young lawyer forges documents to exonerate the innocent. The millionaire is ready to pay for his beloved any money, cashing in on dangerous drugs. A young woman is willing to kill to save her marriage.
Behind each hero is his own world, his own reasons. One by one, the cabinets with skeletons come off. And the mystery in the last minute of the film is the most important and terrible.
This movie is for those who like to think after the film and speculate on the topic of universal weaknesses.
Based on the brief description, one can imagine a rather serious court drama, as a young lawyer goes against an entire influential company with its influential owner. His life will be in danger, but he will continue to fight for honor and justice. But it didn’t turn out as well as I would have liked.
After an intriguing beginning, the film turns into a rather weak semblance of psychological drama, and at the end a small element of action is added. The ending, which in theory should cause shock by its unexpected turn, does not become such. But having such actors on hand, although with a modest budget, it was possible to create a strong and good film. However, the action on the screen takes place in a sluggish and uninteresting key. Many moments are not explained at all, the actions of the characters are sometimes illogical.
As a big fan of Al Pacino, I am once again convinced of how low his overall level and demand for films in general have fallen. Maybe it's age or something, but after the arrival of the two thousandth, he gave up. Of the whole list of paintings in this period and to the present, only single works can be slightly compared to what he created before. In this film, he is only a pale shadow, like another great actor Anthony Hopkins. In fact, if they weren't here, nothing really changed. Well, Josh Duhamel in the role of a lawyer, cornered, looked the same gray and did not cause sympathy.
The output was a weak movie with excellent actors, but without acting and worthless production. Is it worth spending time on this movie? Definitely not, unless you want to watch once-great actors do something like that.
Alas, but recently a huge number of films with famous actors do not meet expectations. At least mine. Let’s remember Grandpa with De Niro. Here. Anthony Hopkins and Al Pacino in the same picture. What else would you like for quality filmmakers? But. It wasn't here.
I don’t understand why actors of this scale star in openly passing and not carrying anything valuable films. Maybe at the end of his career, the bar just fell a little? Or did the feeling of leaving the big movie play its part? I can only guess. Perhaps this is another way to gather at least some audience around a low-budget picture? After all, this film is clearly not going to be widely distributed. Are we forming a new niche a la “Authoritative actors on the slope of years + scant projects”? Many questions. It’s a shame to watch this whole show.
Now for the movie Worse Than Lies. It seems that the film was shot under the slogan “Let’s kill everyone, for no reason.” The illogicality and ludicrousness of the plot just went off scale. The beginning was so promising... However, it all boiled down to low-grade pontiffs (the scene with a bike at the end of the series “look how cool I am, I need something screen time to fill”), meaningless ideologicalness of some characters, feverishness (and why not shoot a security guard’s leg, die, as they say, with music) and absolutely unnecessary episodes in principle. Why didn’t the biker’s story be revealed? Why do almost all heroes look like mentally unhealthy and unstable personalities? That’s all the creators decided to cover the confusion and intricacy of the storyline, which ultimately was not needed at all. I should not have made this movie.
Actors. Hopkins, as always, is great (again, I’m sorry I started acting in this one), Al Pacino is similar (although the final scene looked too playful, I thought he apologized to the audience for “this”), but we will forgive him, the others did not please anything. Absolutely. Only Alice Eve irritated me frankly, well, this is not her work, in all films the same facial expression, zero emotions, a cold look.
In the dry residue, I can say this: “Worse than a lie” – a passing film with eminent actors. If you watch it, it's for Hopkins and Pacino. The film itself is empty.