Antonio (Jeremy Irons), a successful but cash-poor merchant, approaches Shylock (Al Pacino), a wealthy moneylender, for a loan to help his young friend Bassanio (Joseph Fiennes, Shakespeare in Love) woo the fair Portia (Lynn Collins, 13 Going On 30). Despite being longtime enemies, Shylock grants the request, but demands one pound of Antonio's flesh if the debt is not repaid on time. When Antonio defaults on the loan, Shylock seeks what is legally owed to him but soon learns that those whom evil is done, do evil in return.