Studio: Fox
D: Ridley Scott (PROMETHEUS)
W: Cormac McCarthy
(playwright, also author of novel NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN)
Cast: Michael
Fassbender, Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Brad Pitt
Logline: A lawyer
finds himself in over his head after investing in a drug deal that goes left.
FASSBENDER plays “The Counselor”, a cocky lawyer whose first
time involvement in “Reiner” (BARDEM), his friend / client’s drug trafficking business
quickly turns into a path paved with destruction. The hitch in the drug deal puts everyone in
the line of fire including: The
Counselor’s fiancé, CRUZ and middle-man, “Westray” (PITT). Man-eater, "Malkina" (DIAZ) proves to be
self-reliant. Even though she is Reiner’s
girlfriend, she lets him know that at the first sign of trouble, she’s
out. And she means it. The intriguing aspect of the story SHOULD be
figuring out who is Judas and will s/he pay? Though, the rat is identified for the audience, the characters are never made aware. So, as an audience member, you are sitting
there, knowing the truth and waiting for the characters to catch up and instead,
they philosophize about love and death. The movie is violent, but there are actually some comedic moments as well, like any scene with Reiner's pet cheetahs and Malkina having sex with a car (no, really). SCOTT handles these moments as evenly as
he does the violent ones.
If you are a fan of McCarthy’s, then I would suggest you see
this or read the book, which is actually the screenplay. If you are a fan of the actors, see it –
solid performances all around.
