Although it's nice for a film to be ambitious, there is such a thing as overreaching.
The Devil's Advocate (1997)
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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
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Reviews for The Devil's Advocate
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.
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.
First the good news: Devil's Advocate is a visual delight that contains a deliciously over-the-top portrayal of Satan by Al Pacino. Now the bad news: the movie has no brain, heart or soul.
High art this may not be, and certainly no Paradise Lost, but fine filmic entertainment it most definitely is.
Plods along on the winds of unpleasantness and mindlessness towards its climax, where a completely arbitrary, soapy plot twist is thrown into the mix.
Charlize Theron gives a stunning performance of writhing in agony which would work to great effect in a genuine horror film.
At an unsustainable 134 minutes, it's at least 20 minutes longer than it deserves to be.
A highly enjoyable motion picture that's part character study, part supernatural thriller, and part morality play.
Lurid advance ads for Devil's Advocate make it look ridiculous. It's not.
Some movies seem to have been made for just one scene, and disappointingly, The Devil's Advocate is one of them.
Rarely do we actually encounter such a brazen example of the 'so bad it's good' genre of filmmaking.
This may not be the most intelligent film of the autumn season, but it stands among the best horror films we have seen on the screen in the last few years.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
| 49% 49% | Taking Woodstock |
| 26% 26% | The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard |
| 47% 47% | The Girl From Monaco |
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