The Devil's Advocate (1997) * * *

Directed by:  Taylor Hackford

Starring:  Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino, Charlize Theron, Tamara Tunie, Jeffrey Jones, Connie Nielsen, Judith Ivey, Craig T. Nelson

I'm sure many employees have referred to their boss as Satan, but perhaps Kevin Lomax is one person who actually has Satan as a boss.     Lomax (Reeves) is a Florida attorney who has never lost a case.    He is wooed by a powerful New York firm run by John Milton (Pacino) and lures him with the promise of riches, privileges, and an apartment his wife Mary Ann (Theron) adores.     Milton refers to Kevin as "the one they don't see coming."     He may even be talking about himself.  

I apologize if I revealed that Milton is indeed the devil, but this was revealed during trailers before its 1997 release.     There are more secrets to be revealed which shifts everything into focus.     Why does Milton want Kevin to work for him so bad?     What does he see in Kevin besides Kevin's ability to win cases and choose sympathetic juries?     We find out.     There are also supernatural occurrences which Mary Ann witnesses and but can not convince her husband of their veracity.     He dismisses the occurrences as a product of nerves or the stress of moving to an unfamiliar environment.      Kevin is too tied up with a headline-grabbing murder case involving a rich real estate mogul (Nelson) to be overly concerned with his wife's mental health.    Or maybe it is a seductive co-worker (Nielsen) who is holding his attention.  

The Devil's Advocate was directed by Taylor Hackford, who creates an eerie, unsettling atmosphere complete with paintings and sculptures in Milton's office that truly come alive.     Reeves is consistently plausible as the slick, vain Kevin, whose greatest strengths may be what appeals to Milton the most.     Pacino wisely does not play Milton/Satan as so thoroughly evil that no one would want to get within 10 miles of him.     He is well-groomed, charismatic, powerful, and above all, a salesman.     He can sell ice to eskimos, which is good for business if you know what I mean.   

The Devil's Advocate moves easily between the law and the supernatural.    This may seem an ungainly combination, but as Milton himself explains when asked why he chose to get into law, "the law is what sets everything in motion."     He has plans for Kevin which Kevin does not fully understand until the climactic scene, which is both the strongest and weakest part of the movie.    

While sidestepping spoilers, I must say the ending cheats.    What should be the actual ending is replaced by a tacked-on happy ending of sorts.     I was intrigued by the choice Kevin seemingly made only to have it snatched from him.     The true ending is the natural one.    The ending that follows feels phony.     You will see what I mean.     Up until that moment, I enjoyed The Devil's Advocate and all of its sly, schlocky fun.     Yes, a movie about Satan is somehow fun and not an overblown morality tale.