Pacino 'reigns' in Hell

playing Satan ... and he's loving it.

In The Devil's Advocate , Pacino convincingly becomes the infamous lord of the underworld. Although the Oscar-winning actor plays the part under a shady guise (the founder of an enormously powerful New York law firm), Pacino's devilish ability to do the role justice is merely another testament to his status as one of Hollywood's most bankable assets.

They say it's better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven. In this film, Pacino adopts this motto and relishes it to the last. As the charismatic John Milton (English 201, "Paradise Lost"), Pacino takes a young Florida defense attorney under his wing, tempts him with the provocative fruits of the city and leads him down the path of sin.

The young and uncannily successful lawyer is played by the young and charmingly uninteresting Keanu Reeves. Frankly, the aspiring thespian still hasn't fulfilled the promise he once showed in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. "Joan of Ark? Dude ... Noah's wife!"

Despite Reeves' uninspiring performance, The Devil's Advocate is saved by Pacino's veteran talent and wicked humor. No amateur to playing villains, Pacino's most fondly remembered for his criminal roles as Michael Corleone in the Godfather films and as Tony Montana in Scarface.

But in The Devil's Advocate, Milton is much more than a ruthless gangster and has just a tad more firepower at his disposal than the Mafia. Through conniving ploys of evil and his firm's representation of the world's most celebrated scum, Milton does his best to perpetuate sin. And as counsel to New York's most vile individuals, Pacino's character constantly participates in the worst form of vice: advice.

One of Milton's biggest targets for advice is the young lawyer's wife (Charlize Theron), who strays from brash optimism to hallucinogenic insanity as Lucifer plants doubts in her mind and his minions' true appearances show through their glossy, posh exteriors.

Outside of its plot and performances,The Devil's Advocate also has a lot to offer as far as imagery and symbolism. Much of the film is set in dimly lit areas and fire plays an integral part in creating the mood of a metropolitan Hades. In addition, pictures of darkness and depravity accompany the characters throughout their descent.

If you haven't seen the film yet, go watch Al Pacino in one of his finest roles. If you just want to see Keanu Reeves ... well, they do show his butt.