Click to read the article
The Devil's Advocate (1997)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:42
Fresh:27
Rotten:15
Average Rating:6.2/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 24 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Promising young lawyer Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) has never lost a case--even when his client is guilty. When Kevin is seduced away from his sleepy hometown in Florida to work for a flashy,... Promising young lawyer Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) has never lost a case--even when his client is guilty. When Kevin is seduced away from his sleepy hometown in Florida to work for a flashy, charming lawyer (Al Pacino, in a role he seems born to play), his mother (Judith Ivey) has reservations. But as he works his way up the corporate ladder, Kevin manages to put them aside, along with his wife's (Charlize Theron) needs and the stirrings of his conscience over knowingly defending the guilty. However, his vanity won't let him start losing now. As Kevin's career skyrockets, his neglected wife Mary Ann begins to see evil, violent visions. Hoping a visit from his mother will help, instead Kevin finds himself confronted with a secret his mother has never told him. As Mary Ann seemingly descends into madness, Kevin begins to suspect his boss may be much more than he seems, and he finds himself faced with a choice between saving his own life and saving his soul. Thought-provoking, inventive, and entertaining, director Taylor Hackford's film is reminiscent of psychological horror films like ROSEMARY'S BABY. Andrzej Bartkowiak's lush, innovative cinematography complements the smart script and dead-on acting. [More]
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino, Charlize Theron, Jeffrey Jones
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino, Charlize Theron, Jeffrey Jones, Judith Ivey, Craig T. Nelson, Connie Nielsen, Tamara Tunie, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Debra Monk, Vyto Ruginis, Laura Harrington, Pamela Gray, Heather Matarazzo, Chris Bauer, Al D'Amato, Don King, Delroy Lindo
Director: Taylor Hackford
Director: Taylor Hackford
Composer: James Newton Howard
Story: Andrew Neiderman
Screenwriter: Jonathan Lemkin, Tony Gilroy
Producer: Arnon Milchan, Arnold Kopelson, Anne Kopelson
Get This Movie
Reviews for The Devil's Advocate
I could have sat in the parking lot eating room temperature cheese ravioli and had a better time. Three hours of my life were wasted.
A muddled metaphysical thriller that takes a small eternity to engage the observer with its flimsy characters and its tired special effects.
The picture starts off slick and amusing, gets convoluted, draggy and strange round about the midway point, and ends up just plain ludicrous.
Plods along on the winds of unpleasantness and mindlessness towards its climax, where a completely arbitrary, soapy plot twist is thrown into the mix.
Despite its dull first hour, The Devil's Advocate becomes an OK, recommendable film.
Some movies seem to have been made for just one scene, and disappointingly, The Devil's Advocate is one of them.
Although it's nice for a film to be ambitious, there is such a thing as overreaching.
Rarely do we actually encounter such a brazen example of the 'so bad it's good' genre of filmmaking.
The film's setup is much more interesting than the overblown payoff offered by Hackford and screenwriters Jonathan Lemkin and Tony Gilroy.
Regrettably, an overblown finale and redundant trick ending undercut the mild subversiveness of what's gone before.
[Hackford] seems stuck in a private limbo, unable to decide whether he's making a special-effects flick or a pop-philosophical tract.
One of those films that look good as a trailer, but the house of cards soon falls flat when the idea has to be sustained for 90 minutes.
The movie never fully engaged me; my mind raced ahead of the plot, and the John Grisham stuff clashed with the Exorcist stuff.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- The Devil's Advocate at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Devil's Advocate at IGN
Fresh Links
Featured

The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox

AV Club looks at a beloved cult classic, Sam Raimi's Army of Darkness.

TIME offers us a closer look at the characters from the latest Twilight film.

Moviefone lists their choices for the least attractive men in Hollywood.
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic



