Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Movies You've Probably Forgotten About: Vol IV
"Don't get too cocky, my boy. No matter how good you are don't ever let them see you coming. That's the gaffe my friend. You gotta keep yourself small. Innocuous. Be the little guy. You know, the nerd... the leper... shit-kickin' surfer."
It's difficult to comment on the chronology of an entire film when such a powerful climactic scene smothers the entire plot, but here goes nothing.
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What can I say? There's been a particular fad in big-budget film in the past decade that focuses particularly on tackling dogma, from the wiles of Kevin Smith to a more recent Keanu Reeves feature "Constantine." But few have found a way to captivate through the expressions of certain characters the way "The Devil's Advocate" does.
Of course, Al Pacino has his own way of bringing a character to life, and it's hard to imagine anyone else pulling off "John Milton." Where the theme of the film may be ambiguous in the beginning, starting from the court case where Kevin Lomax (Reeves), sexual jokes aside, gets an accused child molester off, it becomes obvious when Pacino introduces himself as the innovator of tackling dogma from way back in the 17th Century. (Insert endorsement of "Paradise Lost" here. Go Book Club!)
I have my own reservations about Keanu Reeves because I always hold silly 80s roles against people like him or Sean Penn (Spicoli), and it's unfair, I know. But Ted Logan wasn't as bad the second time I watched those movies, and I even to this day catch myself pronouncing it "So-crates" from time to time. But enough silliness.
Reeves does an excellent excellent EXCELLENT job at being that asshole young hotshot lawyer that we all love to hate, but the counterpart of tragic hero starts to show even in a role that at first glance is geared to be antagonistic. That tends to happen when you take on more than you can handle, no matter what your place in life may be. This film tends to illustrate that really well.
I'm so tempted to include the quotes from the aforementioned climax scene where everything you didn't already know is revealed. But it's so much better when you can experience the exchange between Milton and Lomax for yourself. Strongly suggested, by the way.
Aw, shit. I gotta go and sell out. I guess I can settle for a bit of a spoiler... Enjoy.
It's difficult to comment on the chronology of an entire film when such a powerful climactic scene smothers the entire plot, but here goes nothing.
What can I say? There's been a particular fad in big-budget film in the past decade that focuses particularly on tackling dogma, from the wiles of Kevin Smith to a more recent Keanu Reeves feature "Constantine." But few have found a way to captivate through the expressions of certain characters the way "The Devil's Advocate" does.
Of course, Al Pacino has his own way of bringing a character to life, and it's hard to imagine anyone else pulling off "John Milton." Where the theme of the film may be ambiguous in the beginning, starting from the court case where Kevin Lomax (Reeves), sexual jokes aside, gets an accused child molester off, it becomes obvious when Pacino introduces himself as the innovator of tackling dogma from way back in the 17th Century. (Insert endorsement of "Paradise Lost" here. Go Book Club!)
I have my own reservations about Keanu Reeves because I always hold silly 80s roles against people like him or Sean Penn (Spicoli), and it's unfair, I know. But Ted Logan wasn't as bad the second time I watched those movies, and I even to this day catch myself pronouncing it "So-crates" from time to time. But enough silliness.
Reeves does an excellent excellent EXCELLENT job at being that asshole young hotshot lawyer that we all love to hate, but the counterpart of tragic hero starts to show even in a role that at first glance is geared to be antagonistic. That tends to happen when you take on more than you can handle, no matter what your place in life may be. This film tends to illustrate that really well.
I'm so tempted to include the quotes from the aforementioned climax scene where everything you didn't already know is revealed. But it's so much better when you can experience the exchange between Milton and Lomax for yourself. Strongly suggested, by the way.
Aw, shit. I gotta go and sell out. I guess I can settle for a bit of a spoiler... Enjoy.
# posted by bosstoonlou : 10:34 AM
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This may be not just the worst acting job of Al Pacino's career (and that's saying something, considering his output of the last 10 years) but the worst acting job anyone has ever done in the history of the universe. Hey Al, they have these things called microphones. They make it so people can hear you even if they're sitting in a movie theater 7000 miles away. You don't have to scream all the goddam time.
I give this movie 1 and a half Charlton Hestons out of 5.
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I give this movie 1 and a half Charlton Hestons out of 5.
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