Review of The Devil's Advocate (1997) by Will H — 24 Mar 2011

It takes about 110 minutes of obvious hints and winks to the works of John Milton, as well as the Bible, for The Devil's Advocate to fulfill the full weight of its premise, but those last 20 minutes are so disturbingly powerful that makes it all worth it.

One of the most up-front interpretations on the fallen angel himself, if there's one thing The Devil's Advocate does right, it's well, the Devil. Al Pacino carries this film, playing the part of John Milton (wink wink) with gusto almost bordering on outright giddiness.

Without Pacino's interpretation of Satan, this film would not have been noteworthy at all, mainly due to the leading man. Keanu Reeves once again proves his utter incompetence as an actor, not breaking from his status as a one-trick pony.

Reeves can only play one type of role, that being that of a deadpan, clueless character thrust into a prickly situation (like Neo in The Matrix). As such, he spectacularly fails playing native Floridian Kevin Lomax, in which he sounds like a man from Michigan trying to sound like a Southerner.

The part isn't the problem, as Lomax's character is well-written, but Reeves is horribly miscast in the role. The only time he manages any gravitas at all is in the climactic scene, as you feel the emotional weight of Lomax's character for the first time.

Thankfully, he gets some acting support from Pacino, Charlize Theron, Connie Nielsen, and Craig T. Nelson (in particular Theron, who pulls out a surprise performance as the quickly deteriorating wife of Lomax).

The film does not require many special effects, but Taylor Hackford's direction is good enough that it helps when needed. However, Hackford fails to properly pace the film, with 110 minutes of dreary drab intermixed with short bursts of horror giving way to the final 20 minutes of constant climax.

Is the film watchable? Yes. Does it deliver a powerful, interesting take on the Devil? Yes. Is it a Oscar-worthy, well-made film? Not particularly, with the casting of Reeves being the most major flaw, in addition to the pacing.

However, Pacino is so good, as are the final 20 minutes, that the film is saved.