It’s the matryoshka doll of B movies. “Mute Witness” is a 1995 slasher movie filmed on location in Russia about a slasher movie filmed on location in Russia that stumbles upon a snuff movie filmed on location in Russia. A hint of noir is supplied by the fact that our perky American protagonist is mute (thus the title). Longtime Russian actress Marina Zudina plays the perky American, while longtime British actress Fay Ripley plays her not as perky sister. Alec Guinness briefly appears in an uncredited role. It was his last film. He didn’t exactly leave on a high note.
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Billy Bob Thornton makes some weird Christmas movies. John Cusack just makes weird movies, period. These two superheroes of uncomfortable humor join forces in “The Ice Harvest” (2005) as a pair of moderately sleazy dudes who plot to steal money on Christmas Eve from an exceptionally sleazy dude (Randy Quaid). Noirishly comedic hijinks ensue, replete with double- crosses that might have been coincidences – or might have been triple-crosses. It comes off a little flat. It’s a Harold Ramis film, which probably explains why the opening credits font is the same as the one used at the end of “Animal House.”
Between Alice Eve’s flatliner performance and Al Pacino’s worst accent ever (Jesus Christ! Would all these Yankee thespian geezers stop trying to do Southern accents once and for all!?! I’m looking at you, too, De Niro!) I have almost nothing good to say about “Misconduct” (2016). (Malin Akerman occasionally sticks out as the crazy ex-girlfriend – that’s it.) Josh Duhamel is a lawyer in over his head. Eve is his wife. Pacino, his boss. There’s some sorta film noiry, sorta Fatal Attractiony, sorta Grishamy plot twisty stuff, but it’s mostly a mess. Evil CEO type Anthony Hopkins patiently endures it all.
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