final scene saves the whole movie

Rating: Null/10 (2 February 2004)

Somebody would say that Reeves is not a strong actor. Well, he perfectly fulfills his role - he is a person of a weak character, driven by selfishness and ego. He is the one, whose actions are being constantly watched and totally controlled.
Pacino (devil), "the little old man" is the central figure, he does not want to be called a "puppeteer", but he does set up the whole stage. The weak person (Reeves) gets a feeling that he is the one who pulls the strings, but everything has been decided already.
So, on the one hand it is: (trying to quote Matrix) "I only show you the door, you are the one who goes though" on the other hand it is: "Would you drop the vase if I did not tell you about it?". Similar, isn't it?
So, after all, is it a "free will", if everything has already been totally determined?
Pacino's character is leading this story and he is a leading figure on the stage he set up himself.
The final "Free will" scene is magnificent! Somebody would say, that the philosophy behind it is too old. Nothing but cliche! OK. Even if so, the "Free will" scene is magnificent, being a remix of the old eternal ideas, brightened and renovated by Pacino's acting. Pacino's energy, hoarse voice, charisma, all together dominate all the space. This final scene is "His" performance, "He" makes you admire all the horrible things that have been done. Reeves is totally dominated.
So, on the scale from one to ten,
ten, being "all you need to know about life" Godfather Trilogy;
and one being your average movie "you take to kill time and entertain yourself" where you never remember neither the title nor the story after you switched off your TV,
I give "Devil's Advocate" 7.
But the Final Scene, being purely Pacino's performance, saves the whole movie. So, I give it 10, no doubt about that.