It’s nearly the weekend again, and that means Film Focus. Here’s Todd Thacker with what’s new in local theaters.
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This week some famous faces grace Jeju’s cinema screens. Unfortunately for us -- and them -- the following two films are not the strongest in terms of plot. Even though we have Oscar-winners as headliners, be advised that Shintaro Shimosawa’s Misconduct, and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, directed by Kirk Jones, might not live up to your expectations.

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Todd Thacker

Welcome to Film Focus. I’m Todd Thacker.

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Misconduct (2016, Shintaro Shimosawa)
A young lawyer takes on a ruthless drug company executive.

By far the best scene in Misconduct depicts its lead character, a young lawyer by the name of Ben Cahill (played by Josh Duhamel), falling prey to his own ambition after being handed a class action lawsuit against a pharmaceutical company. At stake are billions of dollars in compensation to hundreds of victims of a new medication drug trial gone wrong.

The scope of that particular plot is convoluted enough. But then throw in a corrupt drug company CEO (played by Anthony Hopkins), who as it happens is dating Ben’s old flame from college. Through her Ben gets his hands on a disk drive full of incriminating drug company emails. And then it gets complex.

Lee Byung-hun, Al Pacino and Alice Eve all play their parts to heighten the tension, but overall, the meandering story just doesn’t live up to expectations.

To judge from a range of reviews posted thus far, Misconduct is a slow, banal wanna-be thriller. Perhaps if you go in with a sense of humor, it might not seem as awful as it is.

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My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016, Kirk Jones)
A family secret brings everyone back for an even bigger wedding.

In the first Big Fat Greek Wedding film which hit cinemas fourteen years ago and proved very popular, Toula (Nia Portokalos) and non-Greek boyfriend Ian (played by John Corbett) met and tied the knot in Chicago after a series of cultural and familial hijinks.

Fast forward to today, and Toula and Ian have a daughter ready for dating and college. Cue echos of the narrative of the first film. Toula’s parents, meanwhile, have a secret central to the second film. Cue the need for a second big fat greek wedding.

As most of the cast and crew return for Wedding 2, could we call this a cynical rehash of the first story or a cash grab? No, it’s more like predictable TV sitcom, lacking the charm and message of the first: That family rules and traditions are meant to help you achieve happiness, but in the end you have to follow your heart.