Film Review: The Devil's Advocate

"You sharpen the human appetite to the point where it can split atoms with its desire; you build egos the size of cathedrals; fiber-optically connect the world to every eager impulse; grease even the dullest dreams with these dollar-green, gold-plated fantasies, until every human becomes an aspiring emperor, becomes his own God... and where can you go from there?" - Al Pacino

I was initially dismissive of this film; it was only the ending I truly enjoyed, thanks to Al Pacino's epic speech, Keanu Reeve's epic solution, and all the epic special effects that came out of the woodwork (or stonework as the case may be). While those few things jumped out at me, I regarded the rest of the film as a rather dry and boring procedure, bogged down by all kinds of dialogue and drama.

Upon repeat viewings, I learned to appreciate the film more. It does break up the monotony with the occasional fright scene, the occasional bit of sex and violence, and some interesting stylistic flourishes.

Above all, the story is very damn interesting. It does a terrific job of tying together courtroom drama with theology, drawing parallels with universal morality and cosmic justice. Thanks to the film's fantastic conclusion, it pulls it all off sublimely, and leaves enough room for thought and interpretation. The plot is well-developed, characters are decent, and the occasional subplot helps reinforce the overall story and drama.

The film has solid photography and editing, even if it does seem a little plain at times. Acting is fantastic: Al Pacino easily steals the show as the title character, while Keanu Reeves does his best to be earnest, and Charlize Theron flexes some impressive acting muscle. Writing is quite smart. This production has fine-looking sets, props, costumes, and special effects. Music is not bad.

4/5 (Entertainment: Pretty Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Good)