The Devil’s Advocate **** (1997, Al Pacino, Keanu Reeves, Charlize Theron, Jeffrey Jones, Judith Ivey, Craig T Nelson) – Classic Movie Review 1,408

‘Vanity – definitely my favourite sin.’

Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves sizzle in director Taylor Hackford’s thrilling 1997 supernatural horror mystery thriller film The Devil’s Advocate, based on Andrew Neiderman’s 1990 novel. Hackford ensures that it is all very posh, smart and sleek. Screen-writers Jonathan Lemkin and Tony Gilroy ensure that it is very intelligent and provocative. The actors ensure that it is all very showy and enjoyable.

Reeves plays Kevin Lomax, a young hotshot defence attorney in Gainesville, Florida, who has never lost a case. A representative of the New York law firm headed by John Milton (Pacino) offers Kevin a large salary and a swanky apartment if he joins the firm. Despite warnings about big city life from his Evangelical Christian mother Alice (Judith Ivey), Kevin accepts the job and moves with wife Mary Ann (Charlize Theron) to Manhattan.

Al Pacino is on fire, but top-billed Keanu Reeves is too, giving his showy co-star as good as he gets. Charlize Theron has a lot to do but her whiny role is unforgiving, as Mary Ann becomes haunted by frightening visions, and Judith Ivey suffers in the same way. But Jeffrey Jones as Eddie Barzoon, Connie Nielsen as Christabella Andreoli, Craig T Nelson as Alexander Cullen, and Heather Matarazzo as Barbara all get a bit of a decent look in.

It runs a surprisingly long 144 minutes but makes all the screen time count.

Pacino’s satanic character of John Milton is named after the author of Paradise Lost, which the movie refers to in the famous quotation ‘Better to reign in Hell, than to serve in Heaven’.

Costing a highish $57 million, it did surprisingly well for this kind of movie in the US, taking $60 million, but performed very well internationally with a $92 million take. It was released on 17 October 1997, the same day as I Know What You Did Last Summer, finishing second to it at the US box office on its opening weekend.

The Devil’s Advocate was marketed as Devil’s Advocate.

Filming took place around New York City and Florida under the sharp eye of cinematographer Andrzej Bartkowiak. Principal photography began in New York in 1996, but delays were caused by the dismissals of the original cinematographer and assistant directors.

Neiderman also wrote the libretto for a musical stage adaptation of the film. He was born in Brooklyn on October 26, 1940. In 1987, he became the ghost writer for V C Andrews after her death in 1986. He has had six other of his novels adapted into films.

Reeves chose to make this instead of Speed 2, despite a $11 million offer to make the sequel to his 1994 hit Speed in order to avoid another action film after Chain Reaction (1996). Pacino had previously rejected the John Milton role three times, alleging the clichéd nature of the character before final rewrites. Tony Gilroy did much of the rewrite, supervised by Hackford, who named Rosemary’s Baby and The Omen as Antichrist film influences.

Reeves took a big pay cut so the production could afford Pacino’s salary demand. When Pacino discovered this, he gave part his fee to charity.

To prepare for his role, Pacino read Dante’s Inferno and Milton’s Paradise Lost, and watched the 1941 film All That Money Can Buy [The Devil and Daniel Webster] with Walter Huston as Mr Scratch.

The cast are 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, Heather Matarazzo as Barbara, Tamara Tunie as Jackie Heath, Murphy Guyer as Barbara’s Father Ruben Santiago-Hudson as Leamon Heath, Michael Lombard as Judge Poe, Debra Monk as Pam Garrety, and Delroy Lindo as Phillipe Moyez.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 1,408

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