By Melissa Antoinette Garza
This is one of those movies that everyone makes fun of. My favorite podcast How Did This Get Made? completely tore it apart, albeit in a hilarious manner. My husband thinks the movie is dreadful and I have yet to meet someone who genuinely enjoys it. Perhaps, I stand alone in believing that it is actually a pretty decent movie with quite a few things to offer.
Undeniably, I often enjoy those which are in the “it’s so bad it’s good” category. Whether, Legacy of Blood (1971), Shriek of the Mutilated (1974), Rich Girl (1991), Spirit of ’76 (1990), Mac & Me (1988), Super Fuzz (1980) etc. my collection is filled with films that fit that mold.
I hesitate to admit that The Devil’s Advocate doesn’t fall into my batch of those movies. No. I own it because I genuinely enjoy it.
Undoubtedly, it’s over the top. The fact that Al Pacino stars in it should tell anyone that the acting is going to be less than subtle. Nearly any Pacino performance after Dog Day Afternoon (1975) is pretty much guaranteed to be flamboyant and overstated. He’s a sensational actor who feeds into the caricature of himself. Comedians who once did exaggerated impersonations of Pacino now seem dead-on in their depiction, but that doesn’t mean that he has failed as an actor. One cannot watch Angels in America (2003) and doubt his versatility or sheer talent. Nonetheless, viewers often want to see the crazy Al Pacino that they’ve grown accustomed to. When the role is one where insanity works, then the performance is guaranteed to be a fun one.
Whether 88 Minutes (2007), Righteous Kill (2008), Any Given Sunday (1999) or countless other Pacino films, the viewers are nearly always captivated by the over-the-top portrayals.
Without question, Pacino’s acting is often intense, powerful, and even outlandish. The Devil’s Advocate is definitely no exception. The plot is silly, the dialogue is insane, the actions of the lead characters are questionable to say the least and the acting is deliberately extreme.
Even with all of those elements, the film still found a way to deliver an entertaining horror entry filled with moral quandaries and a fascinating battle of good vs. evil.
The movie opens with Kevin (Keanu Reeves) defending a pedophile who raped his student. Despite being aware of his client’s guilt, he verbally attacks the young girl on the stand. Kevin wins the case preserving his perfect record. The pervert walks free and the victim seems all but destroyed.
Afterwards, Kevin and his wife Mary Ann (Charlize Theron) celebrate the victory and the continued winning streak. Things seemingly get better for Kevin when he is offered a job in New York. He instantly accepts the offer and moves to the city with his wife. There he meets his boss and well-known big shot John Milton (Pacino).
Strange things begin happening nearly immediately. Mary Ann deals with the brunt of it as she slowly loses her mind so much so that she ends up hospitalized and suicidal. Kevin is too enthralled with his new job to pay her the attention she needs though it’s clear he feels pangs of guilt. It’s clear that there is more going on than just the transition to a new state. Slowly, Kevin realizes the truth and the real battle reveals itself.
To the surprise of no one, Milton is actually Satan and Kevin’s father. Milton wants his son to sleep with his half-sister and help in taking over the world. Of course, it is Kevin’s decision because he has free-will.
The conclusion is rather obvious yet still well-done.
Now, though I have made the distinction between this and movies that are good simply because they are so bad, I can definitely understand why others feel it fits the mold. There are laughable moments and those that one can’t help but roll their eyes to. The very last scene certainly helps the case of those who wish to classify it in that category. It’s ridiculous, over-the-top, and definitely crosses the line from a fun factor into just outright lame.
That said, I do suggest the movie despite the obvious flaws. The biggest failing in my opinion is the blatant refusal to examine in any real way such an intricate part of the plot. The entire premise surrounds the existence of Satan as envisioned by the Christian philosophy and the significance of freewill in that belief system, yet there is barely any dialogue referencing it. It makes sense that certain aspects of the Bible or some little known folklore would have been introduced.
I applaud the film for not being preachy or pretentious, but there is a difference between refraining from pomposity and simply being lazy in writing and research. In areas where the film should be deep or thoughtful, there is a felt void.
I must admit that I am bias when it comes to matters such as this. I am generally someone who loves films and books that delve into religious philosophy. My favorite author is Hermann Hesse and the best book I’ve ever read is his novel Demian: The Story of Emil Sinclair’s Youth. So, it goes without saying that I would have preferred if The Devil’s Advocate would have explored deeper into the religious philosophy. Though, Pacino does have a few cool quotes as the devil, they are really rather empty.
Rarely do movies find the balance between intellectually stimulating and pretentious garbage. I remember the first time I watched The Prophecy (1995). I was blown away. I was 16 years old and upon viewing it, I thought it was the most brilliant piece of art ever put forth. I must’ve forced at least 50 people to watch it. The Prophecy was able to incorporate religious philosophy and moral quandaries in such a captivating manner. It was a perfect combination of excellent acting, tremendous dialogue, intriguing characters, an in-depth plot and a wonderful setting which all came together to create magic. It is this perfection which makes it more difficult to excuse the issues with The Devil’s Advocate. What could have been used as a mechanism to put forth a thoughtful and insightful film was instead all but ignored.
On a side note, I was happy to see Pacino and Craig T. Nelson on screen together again. I’m a huge fan of And Justice for All (1979) and the duo definitely have on-screen chemistry. I would have loved for them to have more scenes together, but even for the few they did have, it was most certainly a treat.
Overall, The Devil’s Advocate is just mediocre. It isn’t the best movie of all time but it’s far from the worst. It’s fun and though there are some campy elements to it, there are also aspects of the movie that are just plain good.
Scared Stiff Rating: 6.5/10
