The Reel Rejects - THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE (1997) IS PURE EVIL!! MOVIE REVIEW!!

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Starting point is 00:00:39 More on them in just a bit. Now we are going to watch the movie. Roll a bumper. Yes, Tedville's advocate. Commence.

Starting point is 00:00:53 Commence. All right. All righty, guys, that was the devil's advocate. If you got to watch this video, it's because of those fine folks over at Preper. They are doing such an amazing job editing down these highlights. We appreciate all their hard work. Also, if you're listening on Apple or Spotify,

Starting point is 00:01:16 make sure you give us five stars over there, or the devil will not be happy with you. So go do it. Ha ha. John? how are you feeling I am oh god

Starting point is 00:01:26 oh okay demons design and create by Rick Baker that makes sense goddess with the creature creations over there but yes sorry how are you feeling oh yeah and it's based on a book too

Starting point is 00:01:37 which makes a lot of sense very interesting I am feeling man I'm feeling a lot of stuff right now this was a this is wild and I figured like a movie that had something to do with the devil

Starting point is 00:01:47 that featured Keanu and Al Pacino is like the two heavies you know plus whoever else would be kind of a wild movie and this was absolutely a wild movie and yeah like a real substantial piece

Starting point is 00:02:00 it's interesting like because this had a lot of obviously you know argument around you know morality and the laws of both man and nature and you know human hubris and the way

Starting point is 00:02:16 we're susceptible Heather Matarazzo that's that girl's name props of the one at the beginning witness from Princess Iries and Scream 3 and either Scrim 5 or Scream 6 Yeah, yeah absolutely And Taylor Hackford man, well done I like, yeah

Starting point is 00:02:30 This was this feels like it was probably based on a book And yeah it is like substantial in a way Where it really does feel like You get both the brunt of like a Rosemary's baby Esk descent into madness And you know chaos and delusion And hallucination and torture and all this stuff In fact like with the

Starting point is 00:02:52 Charlie's Darren character, it really does feel like she, if she were the lead in this movie would literally be in Roseberry's baby minus the baby part and it has a lot of that kind of mood where yeah you feel like you're just in this like slowly deepening twisting

Starting point is 00:03:08 whole of a cultish you know fancy pleasure horror and nightmares and yeah like you know you watch the cautionary tale of this guy giving into as the devil puts it you know the the stage that has been set for him and and you know and even her you know them both kind of being

Starting point is 00:03:27 caught in this trap and uh you know you know kind of being the architects of their own demise to some capacity or another and then you break into this fantasy element uh and it's fun because i think the movie skates a nice line because you know for it's hard to walk it back with that fantasy reveal of like oh it's all in the mirror when he has this confrontation with the guy right before the trial and anything you do that's like oh maybe it was a dreamer hallucination is like you gotta earn that or else it's gonna piss people off

Starting point is 00:03:58 and I thought the way that this handled its element of fantasy because you see these demons and you see you know Pacino in certain moments in situations literally embodying you know a supernatural form of the devil and so yeah then to come back after all that

Starting point is 00:04:14 to this one moment this one crossroads and for him to then choose the better option you know choose morality, but also still having that sting of him appealing to his ego and to his vanity and wanting to do the story on it because he's doing a good thing, a moral thing. You know, like you see the folly of, yeah, the danger of taste and compulsion and morality and all sorts of stuff. Like, there's so much to talk about with this.

Starting point is 00:04:41 But yeah, how do you feel? Yeah, so as you all know, I was dealing with a lot. But that's why I love, you know, doing these reactions. Just watching movies in general, it's the escapism. this was an incredible film and I think you make some really good points I do like and that that was one thing I really picked up on right away especially with Keanu and that first thing like is he going to pick morality over ego and you know it was fascinating to watch the whole journey of the film and he kept on picking again ego over his moral compass and you know I found that to be just a fascinating characteristic for his character because he is a good human being so but again he was he was he was he was He was, oh, Don King. Finally, by the end of it. So we were right, Don King.

Starting point is 00:05:24 Yeah. Yeah, so I did find that to be a fascinating trait of his character, like, you know, how important that was to him. And I got to say, too, like, before we get into Al Pacino, because his performance was just so damn mesmerizing and just so much fun. It's like it's the devil. You should, you should hate his, which, again, we don't root for him or anything, but you just love watch. That's the thing about the devil. But you love watching him on screen. I know.

Starting point is 00:05:46 You like watching him. He's persuasive. Every moment he's on screen. I'm just, he's chewing up. the scenery and you don't mind it for one second because Al Pacino's so damn good. And it's good casting because it's a movie where it works. Yeah, absolutely. And his... He has to be

Starting point is 00:05:58 outside the frame. Yeah, and his chemistry too with Keanu Reeves was absolutely top-notch. And I like to, again, that's why I kind of, I didn't actually say it out loud, but I just, I kind of hinted at it to you when he said,

Starting point is 00:06:14 and again, you can always just throw it out to just words you say, hey, my boy, hey, what are you talking about, son? You know, those are just, you know, things we just throw out there when we're talking. But the devil's in the details. Yes, John, it is. But, like, I picked up on that because he said it twice. And I was like, but I didn't actually say it out loud.

Starting point is 00:06:31 I just said, John, did you know? He said my boy and son. So I like that they, again, I think you made a good point about this film does deserve a rewatch because I'm sure there's so many different things that we did not pick up on. I really got to give it to. I love Keanu Reeves, too, by the way, but I love Charlize Theron. I love how they really took their time. She's a very confident woman at the beginning.

Starting point is 00:06:54 She's got these jobs. She's in love with her husband. Obviously, the love never waivers throughout the film, but she gets alone and abandon once he becomes this even more prestigious lawyer than he already is. She pays the price for bolstering him at the beginning. For sure, for sure, for sure. And, you know, it's fascinating to watch

Starting point is 00:07:13 that they really take their time and watching the relationship kind of shatter throughout the film. Also watching her. her shatter as well as she's being seeing all these horrific images of monsters she gets to see eddie you know being taken from life and obviously you know her the whole thing with the baby and all that that was disturbing very disturbing the imagery itself as well so i really felt for this woman and again to see the contrast from her at the very beginning to how we again we obviously i'm not talking about the end of the film where it's uh we see her back at the courtroom case i'm

Starting point is 00:07:45 talking about before that her last scene yeah it didn't you feel like the same person and I think that's a testament to Charlize's acting like her versatility. I didn't even see the same person there. Great performance by Charlize. No, 100%. And she's got to do so much alone. Yeah, no, true. That's a lot that's a good point. Yeah, she had a couple

Starting point is 00:08:04 scenes where she was acting with the neighbor and I think that one other woman when they were in the dressing room, but overall there's a lot of scenes where she is by herself and she's got to build that paranoia within herself. So that was definitely, that's why I like she's really a standout for me and obviously again Al Pacino

Starting point is 00:08:21 probably my favorite performance in the film but her performance too I just wanted to give her the praise she deserves and also too I want to give Keanu Reeves I know sometimes people like kind of say his acting is not great I don't personally agree I don't personally agree with that it's again it's all subjective

Starting point is 00:08:35 he's very committed in this and I think and I think depending on who he's acting with you know it's true of many actors all actors really whoever you're acting with also brings stuff out of you and I think here he had tons of great talent to play I was going to say that, too, like, him, like, this is a, he's not just with another, he's with Al Pacino, this one of, if not, you can make an argument, the greatest actor of all time,

Starting point is 00:08:58 or one of them, for sure. And he is, like, standing toe to toe with him in every scene. And also, too, I really love the stuff when, like, he was just doing such a great job with all the law stuff, so compelling. And I was, and it was so riveting. And I was, like, right there with him. And again, just fighting that moral high ground, like, should I do that? Like, do I, do I, do I?

Starting point is 00:09:17 what do I do in this situation? And I like that body language and that emoting from his character because it made me more connected with him because like what do we do in the situation too? Because we all have, most of us have egos. So like what do we do in the situation? I thought he did a good job of showing

Starting point is 00:09:32 that vulnerable side to him. You know what I mean? And reflecting that idea back at you about life, everything in life being a test. You know, everything being a negotiation and a test. Yeah. And again, I also think it was really wise as well throughout the whole film

Starting point is 00:09:49 like he was so much temptation with all these gorgeous women being thrown at him that his father obviously concocted but money is no object you can have anyone and anything you want of course of course and also too like as his wife is starting to be driven into madness and paranoia

Starting point is 00:10:04 you would think for a man at that point too even if his wife had not been doing that I'd still be very tempted to be going out with these gorgeous women right but as his wife is being driven more into madness like okay she's going off the deep end let me get into some escapism here not once did he waver his love for her in that way obviously you know it was sad that he abandoned and i think he wavers a lot no no but i'm saying but he didn't actually

Starting point is 00:10:28 like go through with it and in sleeping with anyone is what i'm saying and i appreciated that he didn't he didn't sleep with anyone in this movie did he oh did he not is that is that all fantasy i thought i guess it's up to interpretation because they're doing that intercutting thing where he's with Connie Nielsen and I bought that. I thought that he didn't. Okay, maybe I read it wrong. I don't know. It could be open to interpretation, I would imagine, because they are

Starting point is 00:10:53 intercutting and, you know, when she's like, you're not even here, is it that he's just thinking of Connie Nielsen or is it proof that he has been running around and also thinking about it, you know? Well, let us know in the comments if you think he did. Devil in the deeds. Yeah, no, no, no, for sure. That's a fair point. I mean, I guess

Starting point is 00:11:09 if you're, I think, but possibly yeah, too, but I just feel like He didn't, but yeah, I mean, she's on his... He's tempted at least. Yeah, she's on his mind is what I, how I interpreted it. He's emotionally cheating regardless. Okay, emotionally, but he didn't actually physically cheat with anyone is what I was, I think, is what I was trying to get at, and which I appreciated, but like, emotionally, yes, you...

Starting point is 00:11:31 I don't know. Again, I think that montage may be up to interpretation. Did they actually do this and he's thinking about it, or is he just wanting to do it and thinking about it? Yeah, no, no, you got... Either way. Yeah, emotionally, you got me there. I was just talking about physically, but again, if maybe it was in between scenes and that, but yeah, I just meant it from that perspective. Also, too, last thing for me, and then I got to, in a second before I read some of the stuff off, I got to get out of here.

Starting point is 00:11:54 But I will say to a lot of the law stuff, I was like, I was actually, like, really invested in, like, I thought it was really good writing. Like, some of my favorite movies, a few good men and what's presumed innocent with Harrison Ford. Okay. I love, and I have obviously grown up, I watched Law and Law & Order. I love good, compelling law stuff that gets us really into the minds of the characters and, like, what they're going through in terms of like, oh, their job is their life. And also just, like, makes it easy for us the audience to follow and also makes it smart writing. And I thought all this, all the cases right away, I think obviously the most interesting one was the one with Craig T. Nelson.

Starting point is 00:12:34 It was a fascinating case. Rejignation, when looking at where this channel's at now to where it once was when this first started, Just a lot of growing pains. There always will be growing pains, but I remember back in the day it was like wearing every single hat, creative, editor, accountant, marketer, every year answer had to come for me in some way and every new day brought some type of decision that I questioned whether or not I was qualified to make. And that's why I wish we had something like Shopify from the start. Because when you feel like you're building something alone, it helps to have a platform that actually works with you. And that's what Shopify does. So what is Shopify? Well, first off, it's the platform that powers rejagnation shop.com and millions of other businesses worldwide.

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Starting point is 00:15:59 I did that today. So whether you're getting in shape or trying to eat smarter, Hewle makes it easy to stay on track. Thank you, Heel, for sponsoring this video. Well, and it leaves you the most room to imagine. imagine and kind of form your own conclusions, whereas the other ones kind of give you the tip that this guy is guilty. And it's up to you to kind of use your experience throughout the movie to go, I don't trust this, you know? Yeah, no, for sure. Any final thoughts you want to go for a read? I'm not going to read trivia, but I'm just going to give you the rotten tomatoes, the box where in the budget. Any final thoughts you have?

Starting point is 00:16:31 Yeah, I'll try and be quick on final stuff. I mean, yeah, like from a constructive standpoint, like the way the camera, the cinematography and the way the camera was directed from a more. directing standpoint, again, really terrific. I feel like, yeah, if you were to rewatch this, there are probably so many hidden details and allusions to, you know, classic literature, scriptures, things like that. I mean, there's so much in here about Greece and Rome, and his name is friggin' John Milton, who I believe is the author of Paradise Lost, which is the story of, you know, God casting, you know, Lucifer out of heaven, all that stuff. Really enjoyed the performances. And yeah, I love a movie like this, like, you know, as a big horror, fan anyway and a big fan of thrillers

Starting point is 00:17:12 and stuff like that and a fan of legal stuff often find myself out here especially in the age of like she-hook and Daredevil and like law things in other parts of pop culture rather than just network TV. I'm always like do more law stuff and this was cool because like it felt like again you had that sort of

Starting point is 00:17:27 Rosemary's baby type of tone applied to a movie that is largely yeah like a legal thriller and you do a lot in the legal setting but you are also thematically tied to the fact that Yeah, in a secular society, this is where we meet and, you know, debate and conclude on morality. This is the new sort of church for modern culture and to, yeah, view into this hedonistic life of, you know, a high power New York attorney in the 90s.

Starting point is 00:17:56 Just, yeah, it was like a really choice combination of, you know, setting and professional setting and themes and whatnot. And yeah, it's like you get that one kind of movie. you get the legal thriller kind of movie, the legal drama kind of movie, and you get the fraught tortured, you know, occultish horror movie on top of that. And I thought they both fused in a really nice way. And I think the movie earns itself really nicely

Starting point is 00:18:22 by coming to that rapper. Like, it's already such a huge momentous crescendo at the end. And Pacino's giving this monologue. And you are like, damn, he's making a lot of good points as the devil is supposed to, because he's supposed to lure you in with logic. sure and you are like damn it really is like god just he just like all the none of the rules in life makes sense and all that stuff finally comes back around to this debate that he's been having in

Starting point is 00:18:47 his head the whole time and whether or not he's actually some kind of son of the devil doesn't really matter and then to have that final button on top of the reveal because again anytime you reveal something that you've been spending two hours on as a fantasy i think that's a choice you have to earn it's a treacherous choice can be and so i thought that was a nice one two-punch going from oh he's still in the mirror he makes the better choice and as you called the devil's still here trying to persuade you and pull you into this vortex of hedonism and yeah you get a little bit of every kind of deadly sin in here uh and yeah it's just there's so many details this is really well conceived and it feels like a movie based on a book it's kind of wild and crazy there's

Starting point is 00:19:32 aspects that reminded me like clive barker and stuff like this had a lot in it and i could go on talking about it for Aids. Hellraiser, Candyman, a bunch of stuff. I'll also say, too, I'll love all your points. I did not feel the runtime at all. I thought this film was paced so beautifully. And it's like, and its view on New York at the time is like unique and singular and it really feels foreboding and like all the set dressing and the costumes. Like this is a movie where every department is killing.

Starting point is 00:19:59 Nailed it. Absolutely. And audacious. Like hard to watch sometimes. Yes. I can't wait to rewatch it again for sure. Really quick. What do you think the budget of the first?

Starting point is 00:20:07 film was budget. Oh, my God, dude. Oh, $90 million. $57. Okay. You know, that sounds more reasonable now that I think about it. It was the 90s. It was a different time. It's not telling me international, so I guess you count this as worldwide.

Starting point is 00:20:23 What do you think the worldwide box office was? It's not telling me international. It's just saying worldwide. Worldwide box office, $150 million. $60. $60 million? Really? That's it? Aw.

Starting point is 00:20:39 I mean... Again, it just said domestic. They just about made the base of their budget back. I don't know what the P&A was at that time. All right. Really quick. Critics score. Go.

Starting point is 00:20:51 88. No, 66%. Hey, 63. Ah! All right. It deserved 88, in my opinion. Audience. 75?

Starting point is 00:21:03 80. Okay. All right. Yeah. I thought you were going to go with 66 or 99. I can see how this might be divisive in a lot of ways. I can see how this is, it's also very pulpy, and there's a lot of audacity to it. And, yeah, like, I would be very, very curious to hear more opinions on it, because I could see this being a movie some people really don't like.

Starting point is 00:21:19 I can see this movie being some people really do like. It definitely makes you feel, and if you grew up in near or around the church, it's going to make you feel types of ways that are, like, deep in your bones and stuff like that. So it definitely, yeah, at least flirted with that danger. And it, yeah, it got me riled up. Yeah. great Keanu Reeves Al Pacino film and I'd definitely like to see more Taylor Hackford films. I know he did Ray

Starting point is 00:21:42 so yeah let us know in the comments whether there are films of these actors of this director you'd like to see us react to or just in films in general. Also let us know in the comments what did you think of the devil's advocate just one of your favorite Keanu Reeves Al Pacino films and hey since we don't have time to read them ourselves today leave us

Starting point is 00:21:58 your favorite piece of trivia because I bet this movie has bonkers ass trivia Thank you John. Great point. Anyways if you've stuck with us this long we really appreciate it. Thank you so much. Take care. See you guys later. Peace. Go with God. Brian Perry. Oh, my God. At the time of shooting this, John has not seen the devil's advocates. True. But it's going on the devil's advocate. So I'm so excited to shout us out. So that way, John can finally get an idea of what this movie's about. So, because he's a, because Keanu Reeves' character is a lot like Brian Perry.

Starting point is 00:22:36 Okay, that's the way I thought, probably. So, you're much more of a Keanu than an Al Pacino? I'm going to swap out, I'm going to swap out the name Keanu with Brian. But I'm going to keep Al Pacino, so you're not that confused. Copy that. Okay, thank you. So Brian in the movie starts off, he's working at a Burger King. Yes, that sounds plausible.

Starting point is 00:22:55 He's working at a Burger King. And then he dips his hand in an air fryer by accident and air fryers back then in the early 90s. Yes, he dips his hand in an air fryer. and the thing that made him such a good cashier, Brian, was that he was able to, you know, use his hands. Now we can't use hands. Yes, of course, his hands. He makes a deal with the, it's important.

Starting point is 00:23:19 And then one day walks Al Pacino. Okay. He's like, what? Orders a wopper. No ketchup. And then he, but he's like, I'm sorry. I can't order a burger for you. This is all the first act.

Starting point is 00:23:34 Damn, dude. It can't order a. A burger for him. It's a way so much happening. It's a movie, man. It's a big one. It's like a four-hour movie. It's a long movie.

Starting point is 00:23:41 The first 45 minutes are him at the Burger King. And he goes. He's not able to work the problem. Go on. I'm very grossed in this movie. So Al Pacino. So Al Pacino's like, I can make you a deal. Okay.

Starting point is 00:23:56 He then hooks him up with like 10 strippers who are loyal to him. Whoa. Forever. Just out of nowhere? Does he like devil conund? them up or are they like the movie's about temptation and he can't use his hands to touch the strippers because that's the most important element of engaging with the stripper and he's he's had his hands and he can't so deep fried hand what he learns to do through the court what brian learns to do

Starting point is 00:24:23 through the course of this movie is to appreciate strippers from afar sure which is a good way to appreciate hence the devil's advocate that that makes so much sense you get it out you get Now. So, yeah, in a lot of ways, you are a lot like Brian Perry. I'm sorry to have spoiled the movie for you. It's only about the first hour and 45 minutes. Wow. The movie's three hours long.

Starting point is 00:24:46 So there's still a good chunk remaining to understand the Brian character. I wish you had this. I love Burger King. So, you know, it's all right. You know, it's okay. I'm excited to see Brian Perry in the movie. And, you know, I'll try to act. You know, you can't spell reaction without act.

Starting point is 00:25:04 So I'll just act my way through the reaction While thinking of being at Burger King We've been doing that for years You think we haven't seen all these movies Watch them in advance And then we make wrong predictions to throw you off That's right All right, O'Brien Perry

Starting point is 00:25:19 You are the devil's advocate Mewa

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The Reel Rejects - THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE (1997) IS PURE EVIL!! MOVIE REVIEW!!

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