After reading the devilishly entertaining book Horns, by Joe Hill I thought I would screen Devil's Advocate as a companion piece.
This 1997 horror/thriller was directed by Taylor Hackford and is like a John Grisham legal thriller combined with The Omen or Rosemary's Baby. The movie starts Keanu Reeves as hot shot Florida lawyer Kevin Lomax. Kevin has never lost a case, but he has crossed one or two moral lines to achieve this outstanding record. His stellar performance is soon noticed by a huge Manhattan law firm run by John Milton, played by Al Pacino.
With an offer he can't refuse Kevin and his wife Mary Ann (Charlize Theron) are soon on their way to the big apple against the better judgement of his mother (Judith Ivey) who warns of the sin and corruption in the big city.
Kevin quickly becomes a star attorney in his new firm, but Mary Ann has difficulty settling in to urban life. And everything is not quite what it seems. Mary Ann is the first to notice as she becomes increasingly more disturbed.
The law firm has many secrets some legal and some....well you'll find out.
Devil's Advocate is a wonderful genre bending piece that combines legal drama with the occult. Al Pacino gives an over the top performance as the mysterious John Milton and Charlize Theron is quite convincing as a woman being driven insane by internal and external demons.
The movie also has a fantastic production design. From the skyscraper roofs to the interiors of the law firm, including Milton's home, the film has a stunning look.
At The Movie House rating *** stars.
No comments:
Post a Comment