An exceptionally adept Florida lawyer is offered a job at a high-end New York City law firm with a high-end boss - the biggest opportunity of his career to date.An exceptionally adept Florida lawyer is offered a job at a high-end New York City law firm with a high-end boss - the biggest opportunity of his career to date.An exceptionally adept Florida lawyer is offered a job at a high-end New York City law firm with a high-end boss - the biggest opportunity of his career to date.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
- Awards
- 2 wins & 7 nominations total
Chris Bauer
- Lloyd Gettys
- (as Christopher Bauer)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
Of course I have seen the 1997 movie "The Devil's Advocate" before. But truth be told, I needed no persuasion to sit down and watch the movie again here in 2024, as I had the opportunity to do so.
Writers Andrew Neiderman, Jonathan Lemkin and Tony Gilroy put together quite an enjoyable and entertaining script and storyline. It is a narrative that is parts drama, thriller and mystery, which actually played out quite nicely. And there is something unique about the storyline which makes the movie watchable again and again.
The movie has a very impressive cast ensemble, with some pretty good talents. You know what you are getting into when you have the likes of Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino in the leading roles, and they do deliver here; especially Al Pacino, he was phenomenal in the role of John Milton. The movie also have the likes of Charlize Theron, Jeffrey Jones, Judith Ivey, Connie Nielsen and Craig T. Nelson on the cast list, among many other great talents.
"The Devil's Advocate" has a few special effects throughout the 144 minutes that it runs for, which helps promote the narrative quite nicely. It is not a movie that relies heavily on special effects to tell its tale, nor does it rely on special effects to be an effective movie. Instead, director Taylor Hackford makes usage of carnal situations to cement the elements of pleasure and lust that drives John Milton and his surroundings.
I will say that "The Devil's Advocate" is the type of movie that you just have to watch, because it definitely was one of the more memorable and defining movies of the late 1990s. And it is quite an entertaining storyline in the movie.
My rating of "The Devil's Advocate" lands on a seven out of ten stars.
Writers Andrew Neiderman, Jonathan Lemkin and Tony Gilroy put together quite an enjoyable and entertaining script and storyline. It is a narrative that is parts drama, thriller and mystery, which actually played out quite nicely. And there is something unique about the storyline which makes the movie watchable again and again.
The movie has a very impressive cast ensemble, with some pretty good talents. You know what you are getting into when you have the likes of Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino in the leading roles, and they do deliver here; especially Al Pacino, he was phenomenal in the role of John Milton. The movie also have the likes of Charlize Theron, Jeffrey Jones, Judith Ivey, Connie Nielsen and Craig T. Nelson on the cast list, among many other great talents.
"The Devil's Advocate" has a few special effects throughout the 144 minutes that it runs for, which helps promote the narrative quite nicely. It is not a movie that relies heavily on special effects to tell its tale, nor does it rely on special effects to be an effective movie. Instead, director Taylor Hackford makes usage of carnal situations to cement the elements of pleasure and lust that drives John Milton and his surroundings.
I will say that "The Devil's Advocate" is the type of movie that you just have to watch, because it definitely was one of the more memorable and defining movies of the late 1990s. And it is quite an entertaining storyline in the movie.
My rating of "The Devil's Advocate" lands on a seven out of ten stars.
Stylish, sexy, suspenseful thriller stars Reeves as an accomplished southern lawyer who's never been beaten; he travels to New York City to take a job with powerful legal mogul Pacino, but his once ideal life is soon turned upside down as he's plunged into a surreal, demonic world of lust, temptation, and vanity. Slick writing, direction, and an array of startling scenes, breathtaking effects, and dazzling performances make this an imaginative thriller quite unlike any other. Reeves gives one of his finest performances to date, aided immeasurably by a wild, wickedly over-the-top performance from Pacino and a first-rate supporting cast. Not for all tastes, but highly watchable indeed. ***½
This is one of the most intensely dark and beguiling movies I have seen. The purpose behind it is to create a moral drama about the fight between good and evil in a man, or the devil's everlasting quest to conquer man's soul. In retrospective, there are few movies I've seen that bring out such strong feelings in me. Specially the first hour. We follow a young couple, played by Reeves and Theron in her first big picture, who move to New York from the south when he is given a job as attorney in one of the biggest firms in the country. We see the change come in Kevin as he is introduced to a world of luxury and pleasure by his boss, THE DEVIL, played by old master Al Pacino.
The ending brings a new, unpredictable and great twist to the story. I will not give it away. The supporting cast is pretty strong, specially Jeffrey Jones who plays a senior partner in Lucifer Pacino's firm and who first arises the suspicion in Kevin/Keanu with his mysterious behaviour, and Connie Nielsen as Cristabella, an extremely hot Italian colleague who is the very symbol of temptation. Nielsen looked even better here than in "Gladiator" and her performance is also more interesting. Charlize Theron displayed her range here for the first time, showing she had a great potential to become a star with her mix of ethereal beauty and acting talent. Reeves was also very good as the hotshot attorney and his looks elevated his macho hero potential. Al Pacino didn't disappoint, but his performance here counts as one of his least spectacular.
This is a dark movie with elements of horror and some gore and sex thrown in for good measure. I think Taylor Hackford never did it better. He gave us something to ponder on while entertaining and scaring us at the same time. It is a film one can't forget.9/10
The ending brings a new, unpredictable and great twist to the story. I will not give it away. The supporting cast is pretty strong, specially Jeffrey Jones who plays a senior partner in Lucifer Pacino's firm and who first arises the suspicion in Kevin/Keanu with his mysterious behaviour, and Connie Nielsen as Cristabella, an extremely hot Italian colleague who is the very symbol of temptation. Nielsen looked even better here than in "Gladiator" and her performance is also more interesting. Charlize Theron displayed her range here for the first time, showing she had a great potential to become a star with her mix of ethereal beauty and acting talent. Reeves was also very good as the hotshot attorney and his looks elevated his macho hero potential. Al Pacino didn't disappoint, but his performance here counts as one of his least spectacular.
This is a dark movie with elements of horror and some gore and sex thrown in for good measure. I think Taylor Hackford never did it better. He gave us something to ponder on while entertaining and scaring us at the same time. It is a film one can't forget.9/10
I watched this movie on DVD. It will be enough for me to mention that there had been no other movie where I'd had to pause the play in mere awe at the magnificence of the storyline! At a point, It was as if I could see my jaw on the floor praising in thorough amusement the brilliance, relevance-to-our-daily-lives, deepness of message, sophistication, great portrayal, top-of-the-class creativity, marvelous acting/directing/screen writing all having come together in a movie, which called for a rating of 9 out of 10 and no less, certainly, undoubtedly.
Al-Pacino's acting is to no surprise as brilliant as ever, exuding confidence, proficiency and clarity as always. Keanu Reaves leaves a great master-play in his work, meeting up to the acting skills required in displaying a character of wisdom, success, love and perhaps, of vanity. Charize Theron too puts up a play of passion in its right.
But what amused me more than all were the great and fantastic script-lines thrown around. All very meaningful and interesting indeed. The whole movie got me stunned and fixed at the edge of my desk seat, but the favorite part for me has to come at the end, where the theme of the movie comes to words and finds a chance as of clarifying itself in one the most brilliant ways I as one have ever seen possible! Recommended for everybody willing to enjoin on a meaningful story and a blend of excellent plays... surely a 9/10.
Al-Pacino's acting is to no surprise as brilliant as ever, exuding confidence, proficiency and clarity as always. Keanu Reaves leaves a great master-play in his work, meeting up to the acting skills required in displaying a character of wisdom, success, love and perhaps, of vanity. Charize Theron too puts up a play of passion in its right.
But what amused me more than all were the great and fantastic script-lines thrown around. All very meaningful and interesting indeed. The whole movie got me stunned and fixed at the edge of my desk seat, but the favorite part for me has to come at the end, where the theme of the movie comes to words and finds a chance as of clarifying itself in one the most brilliant ways I as one have ever seen possible! Recommended for everybody willing to enjoin on a meaningful story and a blend of excellent plays... surely a 9/10.
this movie received many many bad reviews, including personal opinions of friends of mine ... however, the premise, script (although thin at times) and finished product were all amazing ... keanu reeves gives an extremely surprising performance ... when it starts off he is every character he has played, not a bad character actor, but not over the top, just a regular guy... but as the story progresses his ability takes on a transformation and he really astonishes ... of course, al pacino's performance goes without saying; he is a genius in any and all of his movies ... and charlize theron is at her best as she often is in her films ... however, despite both pacino's and theron's talented performances reeves is the one to watch ... look out for the change in him ... it is completely awe-inspiring...
Did you know
- TriviaKeanu Reeves accepted a lower salary so the producers could pay Al Pacino's asking price. When Pacino later heard about this, he donated the same amount of his salary to charity.
- GoofsPam says she's working on getting Kevin entered into the New York bar, but New York and Florida do not have a reciprocity agreement, meaning Kevin would have to sit for the New York bar exam.
- Quotes
[last lines]
John Milton: Vanity, definitely my favorite sin.
- Alternate versionsAfter the film's initial release, Washington National Cathedral asked sculptor Frederick Hart to join in a suit against Warner Bros. claiming that a large sculpture prominently featured in the film on the wall of Al Pacino's penthouse apartment is an unauthorized copy of Hart's work "Ex Nihilo", displayed at the entrance of the cathedral. When the court stated that film's video released would be delayed if the case went to trial, Warner agreed to settle the case in February 1998. For all future releases, 20 minutes of scenes where the sculpture can be seen were edited to remove similarities with Hart's work.
- SoundtracksPaint It Black
Written by Mick Jagger & Keith Richards
Performed by The Rolling Stones
Produced by Andrew Loog Oldham (as Andrew Oldham)
By arrangement with ABKCO Music & Records, Inc.
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- El abogado del diablo
- Filming locations
- Trump Tower - 725 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA(Cullen's apartment - Donald Trump's personal home)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $57,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $60,944,660
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $12,170,536
- Oct 19, 1997
- Gross worldwide
- $152,944,660
- Runtime
- 2h 24m(144 min)
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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