Tavlor Hackford's Devil's Advocate by Aaron Farrell

1997, United States, color, 150 minutes

Devil's Advocate directed by Taylor Hackford (An Officer and a Gentleman) stars Keanu Reeves as Kevin Lomax, an undefeated Jacksonville defense attorney who is offered a job at a prestigious New York law firm run by John Milton (Al Pacino) which seems to good to be true. and as usual, probably is. I recommend this film highly for movie viewers who are sick of the high priced, summer blockbusters, which relied on their constant special effects and explosions. The film is intense, with good performances by Reeves and Pacino, some nice special effects when necessary, and many twists and turns leading up to a gripping, unexpected climax.

Reeves who is best known for his roles as police officers in Speed and Point Break, puts his badge away for this film, and does a good job portraying workaholic defense attorney Kevin Lomax, who has never lost a case. who I believe has had trouble acting out intense, emotional scenes in past films, does much better in the presence of Al Pacino. Reeves, who in the movie hails from Gainesville, Florida, talks with a heavy southern drawl during the film, but in some scenes he seems to lose his accent. If you can overlook that negative, Reeves shines as his first deeply built character. Al Pacino veers away from his usual gangster characters, but he is no less dominant and intimidating as John Milton, the principal owner of the law firm which Reeves goes to work for.

With the length of the film, you would expect for some scenes to drag on a bit, but director Taylor Hackford keeps the film and plot flowing rather well for the entire movie, The plot is a little tricky to follow at times. but numerous twists and unexpected turns keep you wondering right up until the climax of the film. The movie overall has a dark tone to it, with many examples of religious and demonic symbolism. A verse from the bible is repeated throughout the film and in Pad no's office and apartment there is a constant fire burning, symbolizing his connection to hell and the devil. Even with the nature of the film being dark and serious, I like how Hackford finds a way to fit in some comic relief, with cameo appearances by boxing promoter Don King and New York State Senator Alfonse D'Amato as themselves. Some nice time lapse photography is used as bridging shots throughout the film to show the passing of the night into the next morning.

Devil's Advocate is a film that I feel can cater to almost any audience from young adults to seniors. With violence, profanity, nudity and sexual content, I don't think it is a very appropriate movie for youngsters. Those moviegoers looking for explosive action and special effects should probably skip this movie as well, because the intricate plot requires the focus that most shoot'em up action movies lack. However, Al Pacino fans will want to check this film out as he gives his usual stellar performance, and for the young girls who love Keanu Reeves, he gives a surprisingly good offering.