They won't see this coming!

Rating: 8/10 (8 November 2010)

"They don't see me coming" In essence, that captures the strategy of the devil. We never see that evil ancient fella coming until it is too late. And that was one of the philosophies guiding the Devil charmingly played by Al Pacino. The advice is given to his protégé Kevin Lomax a brilliant and ambitious lawyer who has never lost a case.
The Devil's Advocate is a guilty pleasure that will surely offend puritan Christians. The Firm meets Angel Heart. Keanu Reeves is Kevin Lomak a Southern lawyer seduced by a very rich New York law firm headed by the mysterious John Milton(Al Pacino). It is the dream of every young professional. A huge salary, a large apartment, designer suits, flashy cars, the whole perks. In the background is his sexy wife (Charlize Theron)who is the first target of the the law firm, and his Christian mother who has a deep secret of her own.
All these characters will eventually collide in their course to find different types of redemption starting from when Lomax agrees to work for the firm. The horror of what he has gotten himself into slowly begins to unwind and the watchers are drawn into the eternal metaphorical saga of the battle between good and evil.
The strenght in this movie lies squarely on the indomitable shoulders of Good Old Pacino. His performance was certainly dazzling, even though a little bit over the top sometimes. It was obvious that he was enjoying his role as Old Nick. His presence on the screen was mesmerizing and his lines, were outrageous, disturbing, profane and yet spellbinding.
He was ably supported by Charlize Theron who keeps on proving that she is more than just a pretty face. Her evolution from a woman excited at her husband's sudden success to a terrified screaming lunatic was top shot. That woman can act! To me the film's greatest shortcoming was Keanu Reeves himself. He has never impressed me with his thespian skills, and true to form his performance was just average.
But still the film is great with less emphasis on special effects and certainly no horrifying creature lurking around the corner. Instead the film eschewed violence to rely on the story itself to thrill us.
And it did.