Review of The Devil's Advocate (1997) by Dann M — 07 Nov 2014

The Devil's Advocate is a seductive and stylistic thriller that's full of mystery and intrigue. When a gifted Florida trial lawyer is recruited by a New York City firm and groomed to be a partner, he discovers that success comes at a price and that it may be too high for him to live with.

The cast is quite impressive and features Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino, Charlize Theron, Connie Nielsen, and Craig T. Nelson. But it's Pacino who steals the film with his inspired and charismatic performance.

There are however, some problems; the script in particular is confusion and uneven, having trouble integrating the supernatural elements into the plot. Yet James Newton Howard's score picks up a lot of the slack by setting a dark, mystical tone with sweeping themes.

While The Devil's Advocate has some problems, it's also tantalizingly irresistible.