Unbelievable, Al at his best

Rating: 10/10 (29 November 1999)

Being a huge Al Pacino fan, it is hard for me to choose only one of his movies as being my all-time favorite. Scarface would have to be near the top of the list, the Godfather movies were good (not as great as most people think, but pretty good nonetheless), Heat was underrated,and Sea of Love was solid. But if I had to choose one, this movie is it. Pacino is awesome throughout the entire movie, and his two monologues directed at Keanu are as gripping as any others in movie history, no other actor could have pulled it off. He seemed born to play this role. I could go on all day about Pacino in this movie, but others deserve mention as well.
I'm still trying to figure out if I like Keanu Reeves. I try as hard as I can to dislike him, because I really don't think he is a very good actor. However, he seems to choose his roles carefully, because he manages to find himself in terrific movies every once in awhile. He will forever be Ted searching for an excellent adventure in my mind, but Point Break was as entertaining as most action movies get, Speed (yes I know, it was completely ridiculous and stupid) was still pretty cool, and there's always Bill & Ted. But he has really outdone himself here. While overwhelmed by Pacino's performance, Keanu still quietly gives a pretty good performance as the lawyer who sells his soul for the big bucks and glory associated with a big New York law firm, at the head of which is Pacino. I won't give away any more of the story, because it is too good to hear it from me. But anybody who has not seen it, do yourself a favor and rent it. Even if you don't enjoy any other part of the movie, Pacino's monologues and every scene he's in, for that matter, make it well worth the money. Pacino's best, and one of the best of all time. 10/10