Evil has it's winning ways (Devil's Advocate (DVD))

Member Name: linzeelou

Product:	Devil's Advocate (DVD)
Date:	11/08/09 (27 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very interesting story

Disadvantages: Not a lot

The Devil's Advocate is a thriller/ horror film released in 1997. It is rated 18 due to a lot of swearing, the battle between good and evil, crimes and mental health issues as well as nudity. The film runs for 143 minutes.

Plot
Kevin Lomax is a very successful defence lawyer in Florida, who has never lost a case. At the very start of the film, we see Kevin in a very difficult case for a child molester who is guilty but he manages to get him off the hook. Soon after the case while Kevin is celebrating his win, he gets approached by a man offering him a much better job in New York. His mother, who is closely related to the church, begs him not to go, but his wife Mary-Ann has other ideas.

When they arrive in New York, Kevin and Mary-Ann are shocked to find they get a huge apartment and get to live a life of luxury. John Milton, the firm's boss, keeps a very close eye on Kevin and keeps throwing harder cases at him to see what he is really made of. While Kevin is working too many hours, Mary-Ann begins to feel lonely and neglected and begs him to spend more time with her, instead he invites his mother to keep her company.

Mary-Ann starts seeing things and she can't tell whether or not she's going crazy or they are really happening. As she takes a turn for the worse, she starts to think that John is behind what's happening to her and warns Kevin not to trust him, but is he really paying enough attention?

Cast
Keanu Reeves as Kevin Lomax
Al Pacino as John Milton
Charlize Theron as Mary Ann Lomax
Jeffrey Jones as Eddie Barzoon
Judith Ivey as Alice Lomax
Connie Nielsen as Christabella Andreoli
Craig T. Nelson as Alexander Cullen
Tamara Tunie as Mrs. Jackie Heath
Ruben Santiago-Hudson as Leamon Heath
Debra Monk as Pam Garrety
Vyto Ruginis as Mitch Weaver, Justice Dept.
Laura Harrington as Mrs. Melissa Black
Pamela Gray as Mrs. Diana Barzoon
Heather Matarazzo as Barbara
George Wyner as Meisel

My opinion
The Devil's Advocate is describes as a horror film as well as a thriller but I didn't think there was too much horror about it. The scenes where Mary-Ann starts to go a bit crazy are quite disturbing at times and hard to stomach but I wouldn't say they were scary at all.

Al Pacino was amazing as the Devil and I cant think of anyone who would have done a better job with this role. At times his character, John, is serious and quite unnerving at times but then he also has his humorous moments. John gets whatever he wants and who ever he wants, and even though to me, Pacino isn't the best looking guy, he certainly has a certain charm about him. I think it must be the grin that he has that makes him seem very full of himself that appeals.

I always have quite mixed thoughts about Keanu Reeves and normally I either love or hate a film he is in, but this one I loved. Reeve's character, Kevin was a normal, sweet guy before moving to New York but as soon as John has him in his grasp, he soon starts to change. It was interesting to watch someone go from being so sweet to being quite mean, especially towards his wife. It just goes to show what kind of pressure people can get at work and how it affects their life at home.

Charlise Theron was the best performance in my opinion. Although the role of the devil would be a hard character to play, I think Mary-Ann had a much deeper story. I really did feel sorry for her as the story went on as she was such a nice girl to begin with and she definitely didn't deserve what was happening to her. Theron approached the role with a clear passion and really put her all into making Mary-Ann such an amazing character.

I thought the story was very interesting and made me think a lot at times, wondering what was going to happen next and what was really going on in the law firm. The film is quite dark and gritty and is one of the better ones around about the Devil as he isn't turned into something so stereotypical.

Summary: Fantastic performances all round