Starring: Michael Fassbender, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz
Director: Ridley Scott
Rated: R
After the recent success of his last two novels No Country For Old Men and The Road being successfully adapted for the big screen to critical success, Pulitzer prize winning writer Cormac McCarthy takes his first foray into writing an original screenplay.
Fassbender stars as the Counselor a Bentley driving, lavish living Texas lawyer who thinks he is smarter than everyone else; he has a penchant for not just enjoying the high life but hanging out with seedy characters. His most notable acquaintance is Reiner (Javier Bardem) a club owner by day, drug dealer by night. Bardem’s turn as Reiner is the antitheses of Anton his No Country character, while Anton was dour and emotionless Reiner is an exuberant and garish character.
The Counselor (never a real name given) is about to propose to the love of his life Laura (Penelope Cruz), the only character with clean hands in the entire film. To keep them afloat in a lavish lifestyle the Counselor decides to enter into a drug deal with Reiner and Westray (Brad Pitt donning a wardrobe that would make a country singer blush). Westray is the philosophical middle man with connections to the Mexican cartel, constantly warning the Counselor that he might not be up to what he is getting into, spouting such gems as ““They don’t believe in coincidences. They‘ve heard of them, they‘ve just never seen one. The underutilized Westray could certainly have used more screen time.
It wouldn’t be a Cormac McCarthy story if everything went according to plan. When the vehicle holding the drugs is stolen, the Counselor gets put on the hook, held responsible by the Mexican cartel that is now out over 20 million in drugs.
Rounding out the cast is Cameron Diaz as Reiners predatory girlfriend. For over the past decade Hollywood has tried to sell us the illusion that Cameron Diaz is an object of desire and beauty, this should put an end to that myth. The irony is that when The Mask came out she was beautiful and often referred to as having the looks of a young Ellen Barkin, she now looks older than Ellen Barkin. Woefully miscast as Malkina an icy and calculating woman trashed out with a gold capped tooth and a cheetah spot tattoo that runs the length of her back. Diaz is never able to convey on screen the type of character that Malkina is supposed to be. Every moment Diaz is on screen her mere presence takes you out of the film. Her role is supposed to be all about looks, brains, charisma and cunning all of which are qualities Diaz no longer possesses. There is a scene between Penelope Cruz and Cameron Diaz where both are without makeup. Cruz exudes a natural beauty while Diaz looks like she should be luring goats under a bridge. This is the epitome of a horrible performance of a lynchpin character.
If a miscast Diaz was the worst of It, the Counselor would be quite enjoyable however the story is completely disjointed, jumping from one player to the next forming a peripheral frame, when the final picture comes together it is underwhelming with minimal payoff.
Fassbender is exceptional as always conveying desperation and sadness like no other. It is great watching him squirm and breakdown upon realizing the hell he has unleashed. Bardem in his most flamboyant role delivers a surprising scene of remarkable humor while explaining how Malkina had sex with his car. Pitt plays Pitt In what is little more than a cameo and Cruz is solid particularly in the engagement scene.
Director Ridley Scott helms a film that is more in his late brother’s wheelhouse and what I can only imagine would have been a far more enjoyable film if The great Tony Scott hadn’t taken his own life and contributed. It’s fitting that this is dedicated to him yet a shame it’s not better. If you can overlook the hodgepodge uneven plot and more importantly Diaz’ weathered mug there are some fine moments. If you wish to enjoy Cormac at his best then you are better off watching the far superior No Country
Grade-70
