History Film / TheDevilsAdvocate

* AdaptationDistillation: The novel by Andrew Neiderman is a rather uninspired cliché-ridden potboiler, which most haven't even heard of. The film has ''AlPacino.''

* PostRapeTaunt: "Well, on a scale of 1 to 10 — 10 being the most depraved act of sexual theatre known to man, 1 being your average Friday night run-through at the [[spoiler:Lomaxes' household]] — I'd say, not to be immodest, [[spoiler: Mary Ann]] and I got it on at about... ''[[UpToEleven eleven!]]''"

* PostRapeTaunt: "Well, on a scale of 1 to 10 — 10 being the most depraved act of sexual theatre known to man, 1 being your average Friday night run-through at the [[spoiler:Lomaxes' household]] — I'd say, not to be immodest, [[spoiler: Mary Ann]] and I got it on at about... SEVEN!"

* PostRapeTaunt: "Well, on a scale of 1 to 10 — 10 being the most depraved act of sexual theatre known to man, 1 being your average Friday night run-through at the [[spoiler:Lomaxes' household]] — I'd say, not to be immodest, [[spoiler: Mary Ann]] and I got it on at about... ''[[UpToEleven eleven!]]''"

* EvilIsSexy: All of the characters seem to think this, especially of John Milton. In one scene he gets a girl in her mid-twenties to service him underneath a dinner table in a busy Mexican restaurant simply by whispering in her ear.

* {{Jerkass}}: Kevin places his career above everything else and ends up losing [[spoiler: his wife]] and his personal integrity. It takes him quite some time to consult his conscience and do the right thing.

[[caption-width-right:350:One of Al Pacino's more low-key performances.]]

* DevilInDisguise: John Milton

* AmbitionIsEvil: Played straight. Kevin's ferocious commitment to winning his court cases results in him defending some rather unsavory characters.

* PostRapeTaunt: "Well, on a scale of 1 to 10 — 10 being the most depraved act of sexual theatre known to man, 1 being your average Friday night run-through at the [[spoiler:Lomaxes' household]] — I'd say, not to be immodest, [[spoiler: Mary Ann]] and I got it on at about...SEVEN!"

Notable for AlPacino '''''[[ChewingTheScenery CREATING AN ORGY INVOLVING ALL OF NEW YORK CITY!]]''''' And that's an understatement!

* AdaptationDistillation: The novel by Andrew Neiderman is a rather uninspired cliche-ridden potboiler, which most haven't even heard of. The film has ''AlPacino.''

!! This movie contains examples of:

* ObviousSecondChoice: Evidently the filmmakers wanted to end the film with "Sympathy For The Devil" By TheRollingStones. It would seen they had to settle for less appropriate "Paint It Black". It doesn't work.

* ChekhovsGunman: The reporter from the Florida courthouse,[[spoiler: who's another face of Satan and is able to manipulate Kevin twice. "Vanity, definitely my favorite sin."]]
* CompleteMonster: Well, Milton, being {{Satan}}. One of his cruelest acts is probably [[spoiler: the brutal rape of Kevin's wife]].

* LesYay: In the elevator.

* IronicEcho: "Are we negotiating? Always."

** Christabella's role in the ending is probably supposed to have this effect, all things considered, but [[spoiler:frankly, it's hard to turn a naked, willing Connie Nielsen into a source of {{Squick}}.]]
*** [[YouBastard That was very likely the point.]]

** But the furs are real, so the film doubles with PrettyInMink (loathing its mink, and wearing it too).

*** Perhaps not. The evidence was exculpatory, and so even if it was improperly handled or concealed during discovery it would still be allowed in (as defendants have a constitutional right to present all available exculpatory evidence). Also, defense could simply have claimed that the evidence was revealed late into the case. In fact, following this, the prosecutor did object, the judge did overrule (presumably because of the exculpatory evidence exception), and also admonished the defense to not do it again; precisely what one might expect.
** Kevin is presented as having never lost a case. This phenomenon is seen commonly among new lawyers that haven't tried any cases, and never outside of that.
*** Justified in-story by [[spoiler:his parentage. Apparently being the son of the Devil gives you some skill in the courtroom (cue devil/lawyer jokes here).]]
*** In Milton's rage-against-God speech near the end he [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] how impossible it is for a lawyer to have never lost a case and points out how supernatural influences were a factor.

*** It's not so much what he did as when he did it. At that point he has no demonstrable knowledge that his client is guilty (as he and only he, presumably, saw the future in which it was revealed), and the jury had already been empaneled and the prosecution had rested. He probably would get slapped around by a disciplinary committee for that, though getting disbarred is usually a little tougher than that.

* LargeHam: "''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QX7N58df0j0 GOD!! IS AN ABSENTEE LANDLORD!!]]''" AlPacino would only take the part if he got to do a ten minute rant in the film's climax. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qy-yqNwTf7s Which ended up pushing TWENTY.]] Upon hearing that, the producers must have looked at each other, shrugged, and said; "Do whatever the hell you want, Al!"

* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: Reeves starts off his performance affecting a passable Southern accent, appropriate for Lomax's Florida background. It vanishes rather quickly, though that may simply be the ''character'' deliberately hiding his accent to avoid getting mocked for it.
** It comes back the more angry he gets by the end.

* HollywoodLaw: Kevin's courtroom antics wouldn't exactly exist in reality. Some of it might be justified given the revelations at the end.

** Another interpretation is that [[spoiler: Milton reverted time back to the point before Kevin's career-defining case in order to keep trying alternate pathways until he can get to the point where Kevin submits]]. There's also the implication that Milton [[GroundhogDayLoop will do this as many times as necessary]] [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel until he wins]].

* HumanoidAbomination: It's {{Satan}}, what did you expect? Given the extent of his powers in the film, (not to mention the [[HighOctaneNightmareFuel creepy, writhing statue in his penthouse]]), his depiction flirts with EldritchAbomination as well.

* BigNo: Possibly the Biggest No ''ever''. It takes several cuts, several ''breaths'', and causes the guy to ''burst into flames'' and then ''burn or desiccate anyone watching''

* TheCorrupter: "Free will. It's like butterfly wings: once touched, they never get off the ground. No, I only set the stage. [[MoreThanMindControl You pull your own strings.]]"
* {{Cross-Melting Aura}}

* TheCorrupter: "Free will. It's like butterfly wings: once touched, they never get off the ground. No, I only set the stage. You pull your own strings."

* FanDisservice: CharlizeTheron's nude scene also reveals that she's covered in scratches because the Devil spent the afternoon raping her.

** Kevin is presented as having never lost a case. This phenomena is seen commonly among new lawyers that haven't tried any cases, and never outside of that.