The Devil’s Advocate

Directed by Taylor Hackford, The Devil’s Advocate follows hotshot lawyer Kevin Lomax (Keanu Reeves) as he’s recruited to join a top New York City firm overseen by the enigmatic, charming John Milton (Al Pacino). Filmmaker Hackford, working from Jonathan Lemkin and Tony Gilroy’s screenplay, does a terrific job of initially luring the viewer into the progressively hit-and-miss proceedings, as The Devil’s Advocate kicks off with a captivating opening stretch detailing Kevin’s Florida-based exploits and, eventually, his and his wife’s (Charlize Theron’s Mary Ann) arrival in the Big Apple – with the compelling atmosphere heightened by Andrzej Bartkowiak’s stirring visuals and a series of top-notch performances. (Reeves is quite appealing as the cocky central character, while Pacino’s larger-than-life, scenery-chewing turn remains a continuous highlight within the proceedings.) It’s disappointing to note, then, that the picture’s grip on the viewer is slowly-but-surely loosened by a slow-burn, far-from-streamlined midsection, and although the picture’s been peppered with several admittedly engrossing sequences (eg John’s encounter with a criminal on the subway), The Devil’s Advocate builds towards an overblown and padded-out finale that’s perhaps not quite as riveting as one might’ve anticipated (and hoped) – which does, in the final analysis, cement the movie’s place as a watchable yet disappointing endeavor that should be much, much better.

**1/2 out of ****