Al Pacino pulling strings again, but not quite as a 'God" father

Rating: 7/10 (11 August 2017)

"Can you imagine a world without lawyers?" The mere thought of happy people from all over the world dancing hand-in-hand in circle around a beautiful rainbow sent an immediate shiver down Lionel Hutz' spine. This classic moment from "The Simpsons" pretty much sums up the connection people make between lawyers and evil. How can there be anyone making loads of money from a job that basically consists on raising doubt over the guilt of child molesters or war criminals? Of course, lawyers are the reincarnations of the devil! There's an ethical bunch that defends the widow and the orphan but Taylor Hackford makes no secret that his devil's advocate is no Atticus Finch.
And Kevin Lomax, played by an underrated Keanu Reeves, is a hot-shot with as much ethics as Lionel Hutz. A young girl is just testifying against her teacher, Lomax sees his own client caressing his crotch, there's no doubt in his mind that the man is filth, his conscience is shaken so he asks to go to the bathroom, but when he comes back, you understand that it was just a moment of weakness, not realization. He knows exactly how to handle the situation and through a habile cross-examination, he gets the pedophile acquitted. Yet, we never really deem Lomax as a bad man, there's something about this young go-getter that doesn't fuse villainous vibes or the conviction that his cockiness will backfire at him, and that's integral to the film's appreciation. If we believed at the spot that he was the bad guy, the Faustian pact wouldn't have any dramatic weight.
The film set him up as a Florida prodigy who never lost a case, his secret is a sixth sense that allows him to pick the right jury for the job, which is impressive enough to raise itself beyond 'evil' stereotyping. As for his background, he's a man who grew up without any father-figure (which excuses his cynicism), raised by a mother (Judith Ivey) whose devotion to religion feels more like overcompensation than bigotry, and married to a lively and beautiful girlfriend remarkably played by Charlize Theron. His last victory earns him a contract in a prestigious lawyer's cabinet in New York, he demonstrates his jury-picking skills and manages to win an unsolvable case, and in the process a high firm position in the cabinet. The film tells the wags-to-riches story with such gusto and an amazing attention to details highlighting wealth and power than we kind of enjoy it without really waiting for any supernatural elements. As a matter of fact, the title is a bit of a give-away.
Indeed, is it spoiling the film to say that Al Pacino is the Devil? A simple look at the poster and a game of elimination will get you to the conclusion. And when John Milton, the CEO, makes his entrance, shakes hands with Lomax and takes him to the top of the building, where a sort of pool has been designed so that it looks like the edge of Niagara falls, we get an eloquent metaphor for Lomax' situation, like walking on a tightrope, with a man who can either take him to the summit or cause his downfall. Hackford's film is visually eloquent and creates such intriguing build-ups that the early jump scares are efficient. But as powerful as they are, a few of them aren't anticipated, and the film ventures in a territory we identify as familiar since we know the title and the main theme. It's not like Alan Parker's "Angel Heart" which starts like a film-noir before descending into horror.
But there's a certain delight within the anticipation of the thrills to come and to see poor Lomax' always only one step behind his wife until it hits him in the face. The escalation toward more and more disturbing revelations culminates with one of these moments where you realize that none other than Al Pacino can make the devil look so flashy and entertaining. De Niro was a creepy devil, but Pacino's angle is perfect for the film, he's a man who goes over the top, histrionic since that's a skill required for his job. That's the trick lawyers use and the essence of the devil, it doesn't guide you much as it whispers in your head all you need to make the wrong moves by yourself, it's all in pretending, in masking emotions and guiding the others through the desired reactions. It's all about spotting the Achille's heel and in Lomax' case, by his own admission, his ego is his biggest weakness, Vanity is his sin and for a puppeteer like Milton, it's the easiest string to pull.
This revelation, while not a twist, reveals why we gave him the benefit of the doubt by pinpointing his real sin, through a flamboyant and operatic showdown between Lomax and Pacino who got (of course) the best lines and a few fiery tirades, to which Reeves reacts perfectly as the straight-man. While not reinventing the codes or providing anything in the same vein than "Rosemary's baby" or "The Exorcist", "The Devil's Advocate" is less interested in providing horror thrills than revealing the depths of human propensity to endorse horror, and all in flash, a few substance, and some jump scares worthy of the best thriller.