Pacino: As good as ever

Rating: Null/10 (27 November 1998)

I enjoyed this movie despite a somewhat weak plot and a weaker supporting cast. I think Keanu Reeves grew up a little with this performance, although, at times, he forgot the Southern accent lawyer Lomax was supposed to carry.
Pacino was good in everything. However, he might have over-acted (probably because nobody else would do it consistently well). I feel the best acting took place during the dialogue with Reeves at the end. All those lines about God were great -even though I´m a Catholic believer- because they displayed in a very sincere manner the essence of humanism and the skepticism of many people in the world who feed their atheism off those exact premises.
I loved it when Pacino replies with the contemporaneous "whatever". The disdain he shows at this moment for Reeves´ own interpretation of what´s happening can only be called "art in less than a sentence".
Finally, I agree with Pacino´s character when he advises Lomax "to stay in the trenches", never exhibiting all his capabilities and knowledge without needing it so. I think that´s a very underrated piece of advise for many of us in this "smarter-than-thou" world. "Learn the subway Kevin!" Pacino yells. Let´s learn it all of us. Nice philosophical ending for an entertaining film, but what is it with all those Rolling Stones songs at the end of creepy movies lately?