The Devil’s Advocate – I watched this movie few days ago. I had downloaded this movie a decade back and never got time to watch. It will be enough for me to mention that there had been no other movie where I had to pause the play in mere awe at the magnificence of the storyline! At a point, it was as if I could see myself praising thorough the brilliance, relevance-to-our-daily-lives, deepness of message, sophistication, great portrayal, top-class creativity, marvelous acting/directing/screen writing. All these came together in the movie ‘Devil’s Advocate.’
In this film Al Pacino does an excellent role of playing the Notorious Morning Star, Lucifer, who is called Satan. Al-Pacino’s acting is brilliant, exuding confidence, proficiency and clarity. Keanu Reeves leaves a great master-play in his work, meeting up to the acting skills required in displaying a character of wisdom, success, love and vanity. Keanu Reeves plays Kevin, a successful attorney and advocate who has never lost a single case and is also Satan’s son.
The writing is the greatest element in the film, because everything just comes together in such an amazing way and left me wondering how the person who wrote came up with the whole idea. Nothing spoken is unnecessary, and nothing done will leave you confused. The script is very meaningful and interesting. The whole movie got me stunned and fixed at the edge of my seat. The ending is really satisfying unlike most films, where the movie is great, but the ending will leave you with a sour taste in your mouth. The devil is really in the details in this one, much more so than most would think.
The story is: A small-time lawyer with a 100% winning record gets offered and accepts an offer for the big leagues in the world of lawyers. It is obvious the clients he is representing are guilty, but his job is to get a not guilty verdict, which he does every time without fail. All the while he has an on and off relationship with his wife. He loves her, but is torn between her and work. His devout Christian mother senses what is going on and suitably advises. Towards the end his wife realizes he’s in fact working for the devil and commits suicide. After which he seeks out his mom and demands answers which he knows she has. Then the climax begins.
Here the movie truly gets good. Al Pacino portrays the devil brilliantly, but also in an appealing manner. He knows he’s doomed! So why not embrace it?! Why not indulge in it?! Already condemned to a life in hell how can it get any worse?! Literally have the absolute worst possible outcome 100% guaranteed to happen!!! So, let’s embrace it and enjoy. Besides, as the movie so points out, naturally their fate is eternal damnation.
Here we have an absolutely brilliant movie with the star cast brilliantly acted and to show the glamour & glitz of Satan. This movie effectively glamourizes the devil and made his ways appear very appealing. The devil is a master of deception, and perhaps some truth to it. It’s one thing to make an entertaining movie about the devil, it’s quite another to make him out to be the male equivalent of a Hollywood showgirl as a lawyer.
About the Author
Dr. K. Raja Gopal Reddy is a seasoned internationally qualified Insurance professional.
What you are reading here, may not answer all the questions we have, but has the absolute power of asking unsettling questions which increase the interest in the strange world, and show the contradictory wonders lying just below the surface of the commonest things of life. Look at this disturbing but beautiful thought of Friedrich Nietzsche “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him”.
Dr. Reddy can be reached at: raja66gopal@gmail.com
