Each week, I will look at a movie that is currently in theaters or available to stream and give some reasons why people should watch it. This isn’t necessarily a film critique, rather, an overview of what I think is enjoyable about the film, and why it’s worth seeing. This week we’ll go through the movie The Devil’s Advocate, starring Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino.
Most movies we look at are much more recent but I wanted to look at a movie I feel isn’t talked about enough 25 years after its release. The Devil’s Advocate is about a lawyer (Kevin Lomax played by Keanu Reeves) who gets an opportunity to move to New York City for a big time law firm run by John Milton (Al Pacino.) Milton seems to be able to pull out all the stops, and there’s a reason for that…. Nevertheless, the movie does a great job of being many things. There is mystery around the persona of Pacino’s character, drama in the profession of Reeves character, and horror in what Pacino is revealed to be, as well as what Lomax’s wife (played by Charlize Theron) goes through during her experience moving and living in New York City. I love movies that can fit multiple genres seamlessly and think The Devil’s Advocate is a great example. The acting fits the story told, and story is coherent as it leads up to the big reveal. This is one of those movies that didn’t have tremendous box office success but has been better appreciated as time has gone on. Most productions do want to make a lot of money, even if a lot of people don’t find the movie memorable or wouldn’t see it again, but to play devil’s advocate, perhaps it’s equally rewarding to have an ever-growing number of passionate followers well after the movie’s premiere.
The Devil’s Advocate is now available to stream on Netflix.
