other genres as well. There are some religious themes in it, a wife going crazy after seeing things that doesn't seem to be really there, their marriage that needs to be saved, and what it's like when you all of a sudden are part of the upper class. Even though the main subject seems to be lawyers and their work in court, this film isn't about an exceptional case that needs to be resolved like most of those films are usually about, but it's more about the rise to succes of it's main protagonist and the real reasons how he got there. Director Taylor Hackford, who's most succesful film to date probably is the movie Ray about musician Ray Charles, does a good job in telling the story and keeping it vibrant. There are even some interesting cutaways where Theron's character is seen painting the walls of her new apartment green when all of a sudden the shot is turned into a split screen shot. It's little things like that which make you appreciate a film more, even the ones that aren't that good. Keanu Reeves who plays Kevin, I felt was kind of flat in the beginning. His acting seemed a bit stiff and it seemed he was struggling to find a way into his character and give him an own identity. He sometimes spoke with what seemed to be a kind of accent, the way Charlize Theron did, but he was inconsistent in doing so. Whereas Charlize Theron did had some little flaws but overall showed her range and in my opinion shined and was the most interesting in this film, Reeves only gained some steam towards the end. Only then did he convince me and didn't he seem miscast anymore. You wonder why noone has ever told him that when you act on screen it's better not to blink too much. Pacino sure got that. He always seems to be very confident and comfortable on screen and his eyes just pierce right through you. That's part of what makes him such a good bad guy. His acting is always nice to watch. Overall when on screen he's just an fascinating character himself and maybe sometimes the feeling of making it all look so easy, is what makes you question whether his performance is really good or if he's just doing the same performance all over again. Because even though Pacino is a great actor and he has done some great roles in the past, a lot of times he also seems to play the same role in different movies over and over again and doesn't seem to add really new things to his characters. Though what makes The Devil's Advocate most interesting are its acting performances and the story which is very strong in the beginning and only starts to show flaws towards the end.What is it about?
Kevin Lomax, a succesful lawyer who never lost one case is asked to work in New York for a firm headed by John Milton, a mysterious guy who seems to have put much confidence in Kevin. Together with Mary Ann, his wife, they move into a new appartment that's way upper class than there last resort. Feeling quite displaced in this new world of hard working men and luxury, Mary Ann starts to fall apart. While
Kevin wins one case after another and becomes Milton's favourite, making some of the other employees jealous, things start to go wrong immensily. Mary Ann seems to go crazy and Kevin is lured into Milton's control more and more. When Mary Ann starts accusing Milton of harmful things, Kevin becomes suspicious. But only when his mother tells him about a happening taking place many years ago, are Kevin's eyes finally opened and does he understand what's been going on all this time.Final Verdict: ***1/2
Mixing different elements of different genres, The Devil's Advocate is a lot of things, but doesn't seem to really have an own identity or style. It's part horror, part thriller, part relationship drama. Still the film has some suspenseful moments and I have to say I was quite moved by Theron's performance who really made me care for her character. But also a couple of times I felt I was watching more of a TV series than a movie. The Devil's Advocate isn't the best thriller or the most innovative, but it sure is entertaining. Overall the story is kind of strange when you think about it, but I guess you shouldn't think into it too much. Just go with it.
But even though the film has a very nice pace and is exciting to watch, it never seems to reach a level that would place it above average. I think The Devil's Advocate is quite good the way it is and there isn't much need to make it better, but I think that's just part of its weakness as well. There just isn't that much to make better, because overall the bar isn't set that high and I don't think this film could be taken to a higher level if changes would be made. It's just not that great, but not really bad either. It's just fun and nice for an evening where you don't know what to watch and want to kill time by watching a film. The Devil's Advocate is nice and enjoyable, but there are films that are far more deserving to be watched.
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