Pacino starred as Shylock in Michael Radford's 2004 film adaptation of "The Merchant of Venice", choosing to bring compassion and depth to a character traditionally played as a villainous caricature. In "Two for the Money", Pacino portrays a sports gambling agent and mentor for Matthew McConaughey, alongside Rene Russo. The film was released on October 8, 2005, to mixed reviews. Desson Thomson wrote in "The Washington Post", "Al Pacino has played the mentor so many times, he ought to get a kingmaker's award ... the fight between good and evil feels fixed in favor of Hollywood redemption."