Tremendous fun

Rating: Null/10 (29 December 2003)

Never believable for a second, but was it supposed to be?
Devil's Advocate is a surreal folk story about a hotshot lawyer headhunted by a mysterious law firm. He's got a pretty perfect record, so on moving to New York he starts to become big business. Pacino is Milton, the boss of the new company, and as usual, he exudes charisma like it were going out of fashion. Clearly having a ball, he obviously enjoyed playing a character who always seems to be one step ahead. Reeves, Lomax, is the weak spot in this movie, with a role giving him the chance to prove he's more than a surfer dude with a penchant for 'whoa'. Unfortunately he struggles with his part, putting on a pretty hammy Texan accent which makes him look like he's contriving every word. Theron's his wife, Mary Anne, and puts on an understandably overacted show as a woman who can't cope with the strange goings-on around her.
The plot's daft, and the movie never takes itself seriously for a second. Consequently as hokum, it's pretty darn good.