The Devil's Advocate

Originally, I had only four stars, but after careful consideration, I decided to add one more because besides the very good screenplay, which moves in a mysterious genre in an original way, the film also has top-notch casting and amazing performances. Al Pacino excels in the role of the ruler of hell. Keanu Reeves has probably reached his acting maximum, Charlize Theron shows that she is not only a beautiful model but also an excellent actress, and Connie Nielsen is wonderfully corrupt in her supporting role. Overall impression: 90%. (18/06/2006)

But yeah, the beginning is slow and the ending is surprisingly bad compared to what we have been watching and how the film seemed in terms of what should be at the end. But those performances, uniquely dominated by Al Pacino, are simply good. Keanu Reeves fit perfectly for this role, but in comparison, you can still see how great Al Pacino is. Some scenes here are absolutely amazing, such as the one in the subway or the opening one in court. (25/09/2014)

An incredible atmosphere throughout the film, an ensemble cast that reaches to the very depths of their powers, haunting tones of music, and a perfect study of warped psyche and character. Al Pacino was unmatched as the devil and his performance really does border heavily on perfection. It's just a pity that Devil's Advocate had no chance at the Oscars in 1997 because of the competition with Titanic... (24/08/2009)

The bland greasy mythology, which at times literally detonates due to the director giving too much weight to the reality of the surrounding world, clashes here with solid performances and the typically sterile generic script, whose writers follow the mantra “we don't know where when how - as long as we have Al.” Pacino is a typically cocky dude with an amazing array of expressions, smirks, and poses that you can't help but fall in love with, even though he plays the literal king of villains. It's a shame that Hackford is just a plain craftsman who can't bring the necessary drive and fierceness to any movie about anything. The Devil himself would certainly need that at times. (16/04/2007)

Who would believe that after a slightly tired introduction, I would be so enthusiastic at the end? After each screening, I look forward to watching it again, already expecting that the beginning will seem better in the context of the rest of the story. It starts off so innocent, but that's when the biggest surprise comes, when the story starts to pick up pace and the atmosphere thickens to the point where you anticipate a fright with every shot. It's no wonder, director Hackford knows how to create very disturbing moments (a brilliant and dark sexual scene) and contrasting visual and sound inserts of mystery in innocent moments. However, it is difficult to judge how successful it would be without the actors. Reeves, in fact, delivers the best performance of his career and thanks to this film, Pacino has definitively become an incomparable acting chameleon. (25/08/2006)