Al Pacino was MADE for these kinds of movies!

Rating: 8/10 (22 March 2008)

He may not be the film's central character, but John Milton is the best part of "The Devil's Advocate." John Milton is a role that only Al Pacino could do. It's the kind of film that Al Pacino is born to do, and he sinks his teeth into it.
Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) is a hot-shot lawyer who has never lost a case. This pushes his vanity to the extreme, so much so that the truth really doesn't matter, he just wants to win. This attracts the attention of John Milton (Al Pacino), who offers him a job that's too good to refuse. His lovely but increasingly unstable wife (Charlize Theron) at first supports him, but she begins to fall apart quickly.
Even without its little touches and in-jokes, "The Devil's Advocate" would be a great film. But the story is taken to the next level with its little ironies (as in the the fact that the Devil is the head of a big law firm, and he chose the name John Milton).
What's really surprising is that this film lives up to repeat viewings. Most films with twist endings lose much, if not all, of their effect after the first viewing. While "The Devil's Advocate" will probably be a better experience if the viewer knows nothing about it, it still works even if you know that Milton is the Devil. That said, it's kind of obvious even without watching much of the film. Luckily, director Taylor Hackford understands this. While the truth of Milton's real identity is sort of a mystery, it isn't the film's only mystery, nor is it the film's biggest twist. That, and it's kind of obvious early in the film.
Special effects are usually only good in big budget summer action flicks. But "The Devil's Advocate" is not an action flick, and it has some impressive visuals.
The acting is great all around. Pacino undoubtedly owns this film, but his co-stars are not lacking in the acting department. Keanu Reeves is notorious for being as wooden as a fence post, but his performance here won't help that argument. Reeves is great here. He uses subtlety in his performance, but he displays a larger range of emotion than in many of his other movies. Charlize Theron also gives a great performance, showing that she's a force to be reckoned with. A lesser capable actress could have gone way over the top, but Theron uses restraint. Craig T. Nelson is probably the weakest member of the ensemble, but that's okay; his character is rather minor and he doesn't have much screen time (that said, he provides solid support).
This is a movie of ideas, and it has some good ones. Not quite a horror flick, but that's not what it's trying to go for. It's more of a drama/thriller, but it's always engaging and never boring. And Al Pacino is great to watch, as always.