I can’t say that I am a huge fan of Keanu Reeve’s wooden performances but you can’t deny that he has been in some damn fine movies in recent years. On the other side of the coin, you have Al Pacino in this movie too whose career is stuffed to bursting with outstanding acting ... Read review
Too old for Hamlet and too young for Lear--what's an ambitious actor to do? Play the ... more
Devil, of course. Jack Nicholson did it inThe Witches of Eastwick; Robert De Niro did it inAngel Heart(as Louis Cyphre--get it?). InThe Devil's AdvocateAl Pacino takes...
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Too old for Hamlet and too young for Lear--what's an ambitious actor to do? Play the ... more
Devil, of course. Jack Nicholson did it inThe Witches of Eastwick; Robert De Niro did it inAngel Heart(as Louis Cyphre--get it?). InThe Devil's AdvocateAl Pacino takes...
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Hotshot attorney Kevin Lomax's 64-0 case record has brought him a tempting offer from an ... more
elite New York firm. But the job Lomax accepts isn't what it seems. The Devil is in the details. In this gleeful, modern gothic fable, Keanu Reeves plays eager Lom...
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bloodstained battlefields. In Berserk: Volume 4 only the impenetrable stronghold of Doldery keeps the Empire of Chuder afloat. As the storm of war rages around them the band of the Hawk has taken its place in the main offensive. Because of their actions Midland's troops are able to march right to the doors of the legendary Chuder fortress and challenge the undefeated army of General Boscogn. For many of the Hawks the outcome of the final battle between Midland and Chuder means more than simple victory or defeat. This DVD contains episodes 14-17.
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Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
I can’t say that I am a huge fan of Keanu Reeve’s wooden performances but you can’t deny that he has been in some damn fine movies in recent years. On the other side of the coin, you have Al Pacino in this movie too whose career is stuffed to bursting with outstanding acting performances but who has also turned out some damn fine movies in that career. Having found these two starring in the same movie then I had high hopes for greatness... ... ...Kevin Lomax - a whiz in the courtroom who hasn’t lost a single case in the past 60+ attempts. Lomax is the kind of lawyer who will stop at nothing to get his client off the hook even when he knows for a fact that he’s guilty and when his last case involves doing the impossible and managing to allow a child molester to walk free, he attracts the attention of a big name in the legal world. John Milton(Al Pacino) is the head of a big New ... more
I can’t say that I am a huge fan of Keanu Reeve’s wooden performances but you can’t deny that he has been in some damn fine movies in recent years. On the other side of the coin, you have Al Pacino in this movie too whose career is stuffed to bursting with outstanding acting performances but who has also turned out some damn fine movies in that career. Having found these two starring in the same movie then I had high hopes for greatness...
Keanu Reeves stars as defence attorney Kevin Lomax - a whiz in the courtroom who hasn’t lost a single case in the past 60+ attempts. Lomax is the kind of lawyer who will stop at nothing to get his client off the hook even when he knows for a fact that he’s guilty and when his last case involves doing the impossible and managing to allow a child molester to walk free, he attracts the attention of a big name in the legal world. John Milton(Al Pacino) is the head of a big New York law firm, but as well as being a powerful player in the legal profession he is also a rather powerful player in other senses of the word...he is in fact the Devil and he has a rather interesting offer for Reeves whom he sees great potential in...and he can be very persuasive too.
From those opening lines you can tell that The Devil’s Advocate is a movie which has all the subtlety of a thrown housebrick. Its premise that the Devil is walking among us to today is not a new one but the choice of ‘John Milton’(Paradise Lost) for his name and a lawyer for his profession is the most unsubtle stroke of ‘genius’ for many a year. Fortunately the choice of Al Pacino to play this character is more than enough to make up for this heavy handed, audience pandering approach, and his is a truly wonderful performance as ever. There is simply no one better in Hollywood at delivering these long, serious speeches with the requisite amount of alternate charisma and menace and he handles each scene with the kind of flair and panache which we have come to expect. Pacino obviously jumped at the chance to play Satan and seems to be really enjoying his role and as a result I found it very easy to get carried along with him and start enjoying the movie too. Without him this movie would have been one hell of a lot worse. As it stands its not all that bad, the director even managing to coax something of a non-planklike performance out of the usually wooden Keanu Reeves. Popular he may be, but an accomplished actor he certainly isn’t, usually exhibiting all the outward emotions of a piece of two by four...likeable though he may be nonetheless.
Keanu-bashing is too easy though so I’ll limit myself to a few major problems. Firstly, through little real fault of his own, the character he has been given to play is flat, dull and boring. Even more problematical though is the undeniable fact that Reeves is incapable of showing any real emotion on his face which is a trait perfect for The Matrix, or Speed say, but not for a movie such as this and certainly not when placed aside an outrageously showboating Pacino. Pacino is pure evil, Reeves is meant to be sliding towards this but the only sign we as a viewer get of this is that he starts smoking halfway through the overbloated 2 hour 20 minute running time. His mannerisms change not a bit. The second big problem is that Keanu simply can’t do accents. His Southern drawl is, to be kind, ‘inconsistent’, one minute its there and its good, the next its gone completely, othertimes it fades in and out during a sentence. Obviously the guy can’t do accents, but you have to say that his performance here is better than his other more serious roles which preceded it...maybe he’s learning.
The Devil’s Advocate can hardly be called the most exhilarating of movie experiences but it does manage to deliver enough outstanding scenes and good performances to almost make up for its lack of real ‘excitement’. The strength of these performances carry it through a decidedly naff script and its rather iffy premise to give a somewhat entertaining affair, if not the great movie I was hoping for. Personally I like a movie to either knock me off my seat or make me think - the Devil’s Advocate is one which makes you think...not too hard mind, but makes you think occasionally nonetheless. It may do it in a glitzy Hollywood fashion, but it does raise a few interesting questions and its intriguing to see what Pacino’s Devil will try next to coax Lomax into his ‘employ’ and it manages to sustain this level of intrigue until the final moments. Sadly that’s when it all goes downhill rapidly because film-makers still haven’t found a way to portray the Devil without making him seem either camp or just plain ridiculous. The Devil’s Advocate is another which promises to be better but falls foul of history in those closing moments - it all gets rather silly. Its a shame because up until then the special effects had been used in a subtle way which enhanced Pacino’s devilish performance but in an effort to go for the blockbuster finale our beloved director went for overkill and wrecked the previous good intentions.
One final nail in the coffin is that this movie doesn’t really seem to know what it is meant to be ad the strange hybrid of genres which it attempts to convey to the viewer really doesn’t work. Most of the action takes place in the courtroom and yet the general premise is that of a horror movie. I came into the movie expecting more of the horror element to be on show considering the title and yet the emphasis was placed firmly on the courtroom bit until the closing daft audience pleasing scenes. I’m sorry, but “horror-legal” is not a genre which is ever going to do very well in the movie world, in fact this may be the sole example of that cross-over and illustrates that it simply isn’t going to work very well. It doesn’t help that it plays as if no one really knew which is was meant to be and as a result both elements are played down giving an unscary horror element and courtroom scenes which are neither well scripted, well thought out or even particularly entertaining for that matter. If someone could have made up their mind which side this movie was going to come down upon then it could have been far better. They didn’t, and it all feels incredibly lightweight storywise as a result. The final bunch of twists, the ones you just sit there waiting for, seem tacked on, almost as if the movie bummed out at the test screening and they were hastily tacked on afterwards to please the movie going crowd. I hate to say it, but they are quite ludicrous and do not make sense when compared to the rest of the story so they aren’t going to please anyone.
As a bloated vehicle for Al Pacino to showboat in, The Devil’s Advocate is the perfect movie. In most other respects it rather mediocre and isn’t going to do much to set your world on fire despite the interesting cast list. Its watchable and its quite entertaining in parts, but at almost two and a half hours you tend to sit there praying for the end rather than the time flying by. Its simply not entertaining enough to sit that length of time watching without your mind wandering to other things...like what’s on the other channel.
Advantages: Interesting and potentially good movie Disadvantages: A linear plot
I am not normally a great lover of horror, but this movie falls in between several genres. In a similar way to ‘The Omen’ or ‘Psycho’ we have a horror-psychological movie that is somehow believable making it scarier than it would otherwise have been.
Add to this the ‘blockbusting’ cast and you have a movie that has great potential.
Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) is a wizard in the courtroom; as a young ... ...he uses every means to free his clients, however guilty they are, with his sordid logic and his gently charm he is able to bamboozle the jury.
Happily married to Mary Ann (Charlize Theron), a beautiful young lady he manages to maintain a good relationship with his mother despite her misgivings about his success and lifestyle.
After a particularly offensive trial in which a child molester is freed when a grueling and callous interview with the victim ...
Simoncook1 28.12.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Devil's Advocate (DVD)
Advantages: extremely well executed plot, Al Pacino Disadvantages: support cast a let down
Gee, it seems to be such a long time since I wrote anything, I’ve forgotten what Microsoft word looks like LOL! For those of you who read my last op (as always very much appreciated) I have not been enforced into the unfortunate ranks of job obscurity. Far from it actually (more to come on that at another time and juncture!). Having had a wee bit of time on my hands, I thought it was time to get “back to basics” and enjoy my favourite ... ...Trawling through the ever-growing video collection I seem to constantly be adding to, I thought I would delve through the archives and came across a wee gem of a movie that I’ve not had the pleasure of watching for some time now, “The Devil’s Advocate”.
CAST
Keanu Reeves - Kevin Lomax
Al Pacino - John Milton/Satan
Charlize Theron - Mary-Ann Lomax
Jeffrey Jones - Eddie Barzoon
Judith Ivey - Mrs. Lomax
Craig T. Nelson - Alexander ...
paulc20001 17.08.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Devil's Advocate (DVD)
I’ve always believed that if something seems too good to be true, then unfortunately it most likely probably is - Devil’s Advocate is a film that proves this only too well..... ==Devil’s Advocate== Keanu Reeves plays the part of Kevin Lomax, a very successful defence attorney who has never lost a case in his entire career. The film starts with Kevin defending a schoolteacher who has been accused by one of his pupils of molesting her. During the trial, ... ...clearly is) however this doesn’t stop him from destroying the girl's credibility and getting Mr Getty off. After the trial Kevin and his wife, Mary Ann , played by Charlize Theron, go out on the town to celebrate, yet another win. Whilst enjoying their celebrations, Kevin is approached by a representative of the New York based law firm of Milton, Chadwick & Waters. He offers Kevin a large sum of money to help the firm with jury selection. This is ...
jinxyjo 15.08.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Devil's Advocate (DVD)
Advantages: Pacino's over-the-top Satan Disadvantages: Doesn't tax the brain much; may offend the deeply religious
I settled down to watch this film the other night; it was to be the fifth time I'd watched it. Why?
Ostensibly, it's just another daft Satan-attempts-to-overthrow-the-earth-again type flick. Two big names, Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino, dominate an otherwise unknown cast (apart from the headmaster from Ferris Bueller - he just keeps cropping up, doesn't he). The girl who plays Keanu's young wife Marianne looks like Ashley Judd. I've never heard of ... ...film, and more to the point, why do I strongly recommend that you do? The plot is thin and easily explained: Keanu is a young hotshot Florida crime lawyer who has never lost a case. He makes his money defending lost-cause, clearly guilty defendants, and getting them let off. After one particularly dodgy trial involving a paedophile, Keanu is approached by a headhunter from a New York firm, offering him the world on a plate. So he takes his nice young ...
james.bridgeman 25.09.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Devil's Advocate (DVD)
Advantages: Great plot, fantastic performances Disadvantages: none
...I know, but true. The Devil's Advocate was one of them. I cannot tell you how much it pleased me to see Keanu Reeves back on form. The two films I had seen of his previous to this ('A walk in the clouds' and 'chain reaction') had really not done him justice. This one did. Reeves stars as Kevin Lomax, an ambitious lawyer for a small firm, who's 64-0 case record lands him a job with an elite New York firm. However, he soon realizes that everything ... ...the true intentions of his boss (Al Pacino). And the pressure really mounts when he is presented with his first case, an important businessman accused of murder. But he is about to discover the truth... It is obvious throughout that there is likely to be a big twist towards the end. However, the double-twist that does occur is breathtaking, and almost completely unforseeable. Reeves is excellent as the charismatic lawyer, while Pacino puts on an ...
krabople 06.10.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Devil's Advocate (DVD)
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Advantages: Al Pacino at his best Disadvantages: None I can see a great movie
visions of ghouls and eventually has a complete mental breakdown. All this seemingly being down to Kevin's new boss John Milton (Al Pacino).
This is arguably Pacino's film, his portrayal of John Milton is very convincing, he plays him over the top, aggressive but very charismatic which in a way I would expect, after all we soon find out that John Milton is in fact Satan, not only that he is Kevin's father.
It's a typical Good Verses evil film and for a time you truly believe that in this one evil will win.
The ending has a huge twist so even though I would love to say I wont, go watch the film
******Technical Info*******
Rated 18
DevilsAdvocate
Running time approx 138 mins
Directed by Taylor Hackford
Cast: Al Pacino, Keanu Reeves, Charlize Theron, Judith Ivey, Craig T. Nelson, Jeffrey Jones, Ruben Santiago ...
Interactive Menus, Production Notes, Scene Access, TV Spots, Audio Commentary
Aspect Ratio
2.33 Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 English French Italian
Professional reviews
Review
"...Executed with unconventional panache and anchored by dazzling performances from Al Pacino and Charlize Theron..." (Box Office, p.50, 01/12/1997)
"...Seductive....A lavish-looking, cleverly entertaining morality play with shades of ROSEMARY'S BABY..." (New York Times, p.E12, 17/10/1997)
"...The film is brightly lit and bizarrely jaunty....Pacino lets loose with his full range of mannerisms..." (Sight and Sound, p.38, 01/01/1998)
DVD Description
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.
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