The Sixth Deadly Sin

Rating: 5/10 (29 March 2009)

"Hotshot attorney Kevin Lomax's 64-0 case record has brought him a tempting offer from an 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 Lomax and Al Pacino is the charismatic firm founder who knows there are cases to be won and souls to be lost. From Lomax's court triumphs and skyrocket rise to its double-twist ending, 'The Devil's Advocate' is red-hot entertainment. Lomax's life, wife (Charlize Theron) and soul are on the line. He's landed a job that's Heaven on Earth which can led him straight to Hell," according to the official synopsis.
Director Taylor Hackford's film is beautifully shot, but the story is ham-fisted and cheesy. The first thing that made me wonder: How is it that attorney Reeves, after a string of 64 cases in the courtroom, is dumbfounded by the fact that his opening client MIGHT be guilty? This is not at all plausible. But, the opening events are much more realistic than the entirety of "Act III" (before the ending reversal); and, it's nicely performed. After building to a jumpy midpoint, "The Devil's Advocate" becomes unintentionally funny. On the plus side, Charlize Theron (as Mary Ann Lomax) and Connie Nielsen (as Christabella Andreoli) are scrumptiously sexy. Ah, vanity...
***** The Devil's Advocate (10/17/97) Taylor Hackford ~ Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino, Charlize Theron