Directed by:
Taylor HackfordCinematography:
Andrzej BartkowiakComposer:
James Newton HowardCast:
Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino, Charlize Theron, Jeffrey Jones, Judith Ivey, Connie Nielsen, Craig T. Nelson, Tamara Tunie, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Debra Monk (more)VOD (1)
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Kevin Lomax, a top-notch Florida lawyer who specializes in jury selection, is summoned to New York City by the enigmatic owner of a huge law firm. After accepting a position at Milton, Chadwick, Waters, Kevin and his wife Mary Ann head for the Big Apple and a luxurious lifestyle. Lomax soon meets John Milton, the founding partner of the firm with worldwide financial and political interests. Winning soon becomes an obsession for Kevin. However, Mary Ann begins telling him that the other partners' wives are not what they appear, that she's having frightening experiences she cannot explain. When Eddie Barzoon, the firm's managing partner, dies a sudden, horrible death, Mary Ann's terrified perceptions pull her away from sanity. And through it all, John Milton keeps reminding his protege that life is rich with possibilities for those who are unafraid to sample them. But Lomax is stepping into Hell. And standing at the gates to welcome him is John Milton. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (12)
Superb thriller with a brilliant demonic performance by Al Pacino. The story develops slowly and I even doubted that the advertised supernatural element would appear at all. Fortunately, halfway through things begin going in right direction, Satan shines, Charlize Theron is impressively crazy and Keanu Reeves is pretty good, too. I can imagine it 30 minutes shorter, but doesn’t matter, it still fun as it is. 9/10
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The bland greasy mythology, which at times literally detonates due to the director giving too much weight to the reality of the surrounding world, clashes here with solid performances and the typically sterile generic script, whose writers follow the mantra “we don't know where when how - as long as we have Al.” Pacino is a typically cocky dude with an amazing array of expressions, smirks, and poses that you can't help but fall in love with, even though he plays the literal king of villains. It's a shame that Hackford is just a plain craftsman who can't bring the necessary drive and fierceness to any movie about anything. The Devil himself would certainly need that at times.
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Originally, I gave it only four stars, but upon further consideration, I decided to add one more because alongside a very good screenplay, which navigates the mysterious genre in an original way, the film also boasts top-notch casting and amazing performances. Al Pacino excels in the role of the ruler of hell. Keanu Reeves reaches his acting peak, Charlize Theron shows that she's not just a pretty model but also an excellent actress, and Connie Nielsen is beautifully corrupt in her supporting role. Overall impression: 90%.
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The start is slow, and the ending is unexpectedly bad compared to what we've seen so far and how the film seemed to be shaping up towards what should have happened at the end. However, the acting performances, particularly dominated by Al Pacino, are simply good. Keanu Reeves was perfectly suited for this role, but in comparison, it's clear just how great Al Pacino is. Some scenes here are absolutely great, for example, the one in the subway or the opening scene in the courtroom.
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Watching it, I never would have guessed that Devil's Advocate went through five years of pre-production hell and that the filming was beset with difficulties and delays. Because everything about it feels like a totally coherent original vision that was fun for everyone to work on, from the actors and camera work to the sets and music. After all, even dead wood like Keanu Reeves gives a decent performance here. The best part is how the main story is propelled through interesting and intense subplots, and when the film opens with a close-up of the confused face of an underage witness, no one thinks that two hours later the main character will be shooting himself in the head surrounded by flames and black candles. Given the way the film slowly doles out information and odd situations, I would give anything to see it for the first time with no knowledge of what's behind it all. This is how genre movies were made in 1997, kids. Years later, I was quite taken aback by Al Pacino's prescient monologue about billions of Eddie Barzoons entering the new millennium. Tony Gilroy writes, others cry.
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