One thing that sets apart Americans from most of other nations is the hatred towards legal profession. In USA that hatred reaches pathological levels and manifests itself in Hollywood films. However, it rarely reached the levels seen in The Devil's Advocate, 1997 supernatural thriller directed by Taylor Hackford.
The protagonist of the film, based on the novel by Andrew Neiderman, is Kevin Lomax (played by Keanu Reeves), young Florida defence attorney and former prosecutor whose trial record shows uninterrupted string of victories. This is explains why powerful New York law firm wants to recruit him and Lomax, despite the warnings of his Bible-thumping mother (played by Judith Ivey), agrees to continue his career there. Lomax and his wife Mary Ann (played by Charlize Theron) soon begin to enjoy luxurious apartments and all privileges handed down by firm's boss, mysterious and charismatic John Milton (played by Al Pacino). However, Mary Ann soon begins to see demons around her and it turns that New York law firm is just cover for something much more sinister.
The Devil's Advocate shows that sometimes opposites not only attract but their union produce satisfactory results. On one hand there is Keanu Reeves whose acting abilities leave much to be desired; on the other there is Al Pacino who often succumbs to temptation to overact, especially here, where he has to play rather flamboyant version of Satan. Scenes in which Reeves and Pacino appear together somehow not only work, but work very well, just like Charlize Theron makes incredibly good impression in the role of woman with deteriorating mental health. The script, written by Jonathan Lemkin and Tony Gilroy, is less successful and The Devil's Advocate meanders between courtroom thriller, supernatural horror and unintentional black comedy. Director Hackford, on the other hand, manages to wrap it up nicely with some "cool" filming techniques, special effects and stuff that is rarely seen in Hollywood these days, including nudity. Despite the incredibly disappointing ending, two hours of The Devil's Advocate pass relatively quickly for the undemanding audience. In today's Hollywood, films that achieve that don't need to be defended.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.films.reviews on December 5th 2003)
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