DEVIL'S ADVOCATE, THE
SYNOPSIS:
Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) is a young defence attorney in Florida
who has never lost a case. His skill in mesmerising the jury is
unsurpassed, and comes to the notice of a powerful law firm in
New York, run by John Milton (Al Pacino), who entices Lomax and
his beautiful wife Mary Ann (Charlize Theron) to move there and
work for them. But as Lomax tastes the power of being a wealthy
New York attorney, something changes. Winning is no longer a goal
- it becomes an obsession. He is totally immersed in his work,
and ignores pleas from his wife, who is having frightening
experiences. Lomax is also having disturbing flashes, but he
dismisses them. His pursuit of legal success, sometimes in
dangerous moral territory, eclipses his innate sense of justice,
but Milton encourages him to ever greater heights, with rewards
that are a hedonist’s delight. As his wife’s health
deteriorates, Lomax begins to see the connection between the evil
around him and the evil within him – within each of us.
Finally, Lomax makes him confront the issue head on.
"The Firm meets Witches of Eastwick, in this entertaining
Good versus Evil, tinged with the supernatural. The well-written
screenplay effectively puts Everyman (Keanu Reeves) in the way of
temptation, offering him fame, power, money and sexual
enticement. Reeves takes this role, and with a ‘less is
more’ approach, creates a credible, ambitious man, whose
very strength becomes his weakness, as his will to win becomes
his obsession. Forthright, complex, intelligent and readily
engaging to empathise strengths and weaknesses, he is effectively
counteracted by Al Pacino, stridently superb as the Satanic boss
with the decadent, hell-inspired penthouse. Pacino revels in this
devilish role, offering an extraordinarily entertaining
performance. While undoubtedly over-the-top at times, he is at
his best: confident, seductive, manipulative with glistening
undertones of sheer evil. Evil is not forced upon us, according
to the script, but is a doorway which we must enter of our own
free will. Charlize Theron is most convincing as Mary Ann, the
savvy wife who recognises the different shades of grey. Her
transformation from a loving, supportive wife to a paranoid and
fearful one is realistic and chilling. The Devil’s Advocate
is a complex, superbly made film which shouldn’t be taken
too literally. The production design is inspired and at times
melodramatic; you can even see Donald Trump’s Fifth Avenue
lavish penthouse, which doubles as the home of real-estate
developer Alexander Cullen. Get ready to jump in head first, and let your curiosity and senses wander into a mire of the ultimate
temptations. It’s hell, but what a ride!"
Louise Keller
"For those of us fascinated by the metaphysical aspects
of good and evil, The Devil’s Advocate only gets going three
quarters of the way in – but then it’s a doozie. For
those who crave naturalism and Keanu doing active, adventurous
and sexy things, this will be a disappointment. For those who
want cinematic artistry, soaring visual poetry, tangible human
condition substance, this will be a disappointment. For those who
enjoy excessive argument and philosophy about God and Satan, this
will not be a disappointment. But you have to wait. You have to
wade through the elaborate set up, the tantalising suggestive
phase where we get close to the central characters. I agree with
everything Louise (above) and Todd (below) say; but I have to add
my own sneaking admiration for Pacino’s big speech about
God’s evil sense of humour and the absolute truth of his
satanic statement that his favourite sin is vanity. Oh yeah, and
all this from producers Kopelson and Milchan, two of the toughest
nosed Hollywood producers I’ve clapped eyes on. The irony
and the surprise crunched under my seat. The other thing I really
liked in this visually seductive production is the fantasy
brought to the story, the visual and digital effects, all of them
done entirely for the benefit of the script, not for the ego of
the FX designer. Creative and as important to the impact of the
film as is the music. It’s not a wishy washy film, I
guarantee."
Andrew L. Urban
"Hollywood can turn the simplest tales into the most
excessive cinematic potboilers. Mostly, such films are misfires,
but The Devil’s Advocate, which could have been, is a
pleasurable surprise. Under the assured direction of Taylor
Hackford, this devilish legal drama is an irresistible
entertainment, a completely over-the-top piece of ghoulish
nonsense that drags the unexpected viewer in and keeps them
there, without insulting one’s intelligence. Keanu Reeves
turns in a solid performance, easily his best, as the lawyer who
learns a lesson or two in moral fair play, under the demonic
guidance of Al Pacino, wonderfully hypnotic as the Father of all
Evils. But the best performance comes from the extraordinary
Charlize Theron, who undergoes the biggest character
transformation, and handles it superbly. This is an actress worth
keeping an eye on. Satiric, darkly humorous and fascinating,
Devil’s Advocate is a provocative, deliriously exhilarating
film that asks you to come along for a cinematic ride that rarely
leaves you time to put on the brakes."
Paul Fischer
 |
|
|
DEVIL’S ADVOCATE, THE (M15+)
(US)
CAST: Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino, Charlize Theron, Jeffrey Jones,
Judith Ivey, Connie Neilsen, Craig T. Nelson, Tamara Tunie, Ruben
Santiago-Hudson, Debra Monk, Vyto Ruginis, Laura Harrington,
Pamela Gray, Heather Matarazzo
DIRECTOR: Taylor Hackford
PRODUCER: Arnold Kopelson, Anne Kopelson, Arnon Milchan
SCRIPT: Jonathan Lemkin, Tony Gilroy (based on the novel by
Andrew Neiderman)
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Andrzej Bartkowiak
EDITOR: Mark Warner
MUSIC: James Newton Howard
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Bruno Rubeo
RUNNING TIME: 144 minutes
AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTOR: Roadshow
AUSTRALIAN RELEASE: January 1, 1998
See Paul Fischer's exclusive interviews with KEANU REEVES
and
CHARLIZE THERON
|
