The Writer's advocate (dvd)

Rating: 4/10 (12 February 2012)

With nearly 500 reviews behind me now, i have a good view of how Hollywood deals with book adaptation: it just picks the resume of the cover and rewrite all the content. As I have just finished the Neiderman's book, my opinion is still verified today:
The movie doesn't tell the same story than the book. The book was great showing the motive of a criminal lawyer (it's not about guiltiness but winning a case with law) and moving from country life to NYC. On the other hand, the book was weak with the devil, or at least, it lurks in the background. In the movie, those points have been switched: the supernatural is everywhere and the criminal law is forgotten: in fact, the "movie" Kevin is a fusion of the "book" Kevin and another advocate (the one whose wife goes crazy).
What's funny is that both book and movie are unintelligible with the devil's desire to have babies and above all, the role of devil: His mission is to make us do what is forbidden or not do what is ordered. Nothing in the book or in the movie illustrates this: the devil is just depicted as a seducer, a hedonist and a godfather that protects his family.
At last, the movie is good on its visual nature: it has good shots of NYC and has a fine cast: Theron is believable as she gets from white to black, Al is playful because I think he is a epicurean in his life too and Reeves is totally convincing especially his last scene of husband.
In conclusion, i think that an adaptation should adapt what's written and not rewrite.