Four out of five stars.
When you pair one of the greatest writers of our time with one of its greatest directors, you can expect a high-quality film. As the brainchild of Blade Runner director Ridley Scott and No Country for Old Men author Cormac McCarthy, The Counselor is a clever and unconventional thriller with a knockout cast. Though not perfect, this film delivers an undeniable amount of ingenuity from two brilliant minds.
Golden Globe nominee Michael Fassbender stars as the titular protagonist credited only as “Counselor,” a successful lawyer whose life falls apart when he becomes entangled in drug trafficking. Driven to protect the love of his life, Laura (Penélope Cruz), this attorney falls deeper and deeper into the realm of gray morality, eventually forcing him to make life-or-death decisions.
As the Counselor enters the world of a Mexican drug cartel, he thrives on the assistance of his friends Reiner (Javier Bardem) and Westray (Brad Pitt). Reiner is a lavish optimist who lives in a mansion with his seductive girlfriend Malkina (Cameron Diaz) and pet cheetahs, though Westray is presented as a tactical middleman. Yet despite the consultation of these experienced advisees, nothing can stop the Counselor’s situation from escalating into chaos and brutal violence.
In some ways The Counselor is an experimental film, being McCarthy’s first screenplay. Though the Pulitzer Prize winning novelist has revolutionized the realm of literary fiction, his background certainly shows in this script, which might upset the expectations of certain moviegoers. The dialogue seems Shakespearean at times and is therefore a bit too literary for the cinema. Though it is no doubt exceptionally provocative, it might have come across better were it written as prose.
The script also evokes the essence of McCarthy’s previous works, practically making him an auteur of sorts. Between the southwestern setting, complex characters, graphic violence and emphasis on gender and sensuality, the writer’s signature upon this film is just as significant as Scott’s artistic direction.
If you thought Gladiator and American Gangster were Scott’s bloodiest feats, wait until you see the gruesome sequences of graphic killings in this film. Though it isn’t a heart-stopping thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout, there are moments in The Counselor that will shock any number of audiences. Both Scott and McCarthy intentionally upset the expectations of viewers as a means of emphasizing the more shadowy components of the narrative.
Continuing to advance his critically acclaimed career, which ultimately began with Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds in 2009, Fassbender delivers yet another stellar performance as the morally complex and conflicted protagonist. Whether it’s his meticulously executed facial expressions or dynamic delivery of McCarthy’s words, every minute of his time on screen is perfectly utilized.
Cruz is unfortunately given less of an opportunity to display her acting ability, as her character is much more one-dimensional and uninteresting than the others. Any number of actresses with much less talent could’ve easily been put in this role and done a substantial job.
Instead of the psychotic killer and mastermind criminal he portrayed in No Country for Old Men and Skyfall, Bardem plays a much different character here, but one that’s just as compelling. Despite the murder and corruption his world is surrounded with, Reiner chooses to squander his wealth and live as lavishly as he can. His spiky hair, expensive clothes and sunglasses alone evoke the spirit of his spontaneous persona. And Pitt is just as commanding as The Counselor’s cowboy associate who means business.
Perhaps the most unforgettable of these characters is Malkina, the overtly sensual femme fatale. Diaz breathes life into this seductive figure in an inexplicable manner, making this her best performance since Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York in 2002. Even Breaking Bad’s Dean Norris makes an appearance toward the film’s conclusion.
The Counselor has already been met with mixed reactions as a result of its unconventional storytelling and literary applications towards the script. Though it is no doubt flawed, I found its non-formulaic methods refreshing and worthy of a solid B rating.
