By Samantha Pinsky
Staff Writer
A film with the combined talents of director Ridley Scott, actors like Michael Fassbender and Javier Bardem and legendary author Cormac McCarthy has all the necessary qualities to be phenomenal. However, “The Counselor” is disapointing even with its expected positive aspects.
McCarthy—author of the esteemed novels “No Country for Old Men” and “The Road”—fails to deliver as a first-time screenwriter for “The Counselor.” Coupled with Scott, whose previous popular works include “Blade Runner” and “Alien,” the film, surprisingly, proves to be entirely forgettable. “The Counselor” has a choppy, confusing plot that leaves several unanswered questions and is further hampered by mediocre acting of talented actors, directing and visual effects.
The story follows Counselor (Fassbender) as he delves into the drug trafficking business on the heels of his close friend Reiner (Bardem). Counselor becomes further engulfed in the enterprise as he attempts to raise funds to purchase a diamond engagement ring for his fiancé, Laura (Penelope Cruz).
The plot is comprised of a series of twists and turns that fail to add anything to the story, and new characters are introduced without any explanation towards their role. Additionally, the story is full of holes, confusing the audience throughout the film. Ambiguous storytelling, though effective when done in moderation, proves to be overwhelming in “The Counselor.”
McCarthy attempts to give the film a false depth through the use of sporadic quotes about man’s innate evil and primal instincts. Unfortunately, this effort is lost amongst the rampant sexuality and graphic death scenes throughout the story that result in the film being more raunchy than thought-provoking.
The acting in “The Counselor” is over dramatic and seemingly-forced, causing an uncomfortable mood. For instance, Cameron Diaz, who plays Reiner’s promiscuous girlfriend, Malkina, is getting a little too old to continue playing the sexy female lead. Her acting is cheesy and melodramatic, which prevents her character from conveying a sense of power.
The film’s poor acting extends to Fassbender, who is conflicted between playing the role of a devoted lover in a romantic comedy and a tough member of a drug cartel in an action movie, making his character more silly than the serious one it is meant to be. His emotional scenes are painful to watch, not for its intimacy, but for his poor execution. Fassbender’s childlike sobbing elicits secondhand embarrassment as opposed to the intended sympathy.
The film is categorized as a drama, yet lacks the expected intensity. Composer Daniel Pemberton’s score serves only to make dramatic scenes all the more predictable, with generic aspects such as accelerating tempo as the tension of the scene increases.
“The Counselor” is a sub-par crime-drama with a convoluted plot that is difficult to follow. The movie disappoints on all artistic fronts, and unfortunately gives a bad name to the many talented individuals involved.
“The Counselor” opened Oct. 25 and is now playing in theaters across the country.
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