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Rating: I greatly appreciated Cormac McCarthy in his novels "No Country for Old Men" and "The Road." The film versions were both convincing (more the Coen brothers' one than Hilcoat's), so I couldn't pass up this film with his original screenplay, combined with the direction of the great Ridley Scott.
"The Counselor" is a rather underrated film, it was practically disliked by everyone, except for me and a few others. After watching it a few years ago, not having understood all the criticism it had received, I wanted to get the extended version with 20 extra minutes (but I must say that compared to the theatrical release, there aren't any significant differences). The film is imperfect; one must admit that certain dialogues can seem redundant, at times McCarthy almost seems to take pleasure in it, yet one cannot remain indifferent to the allure that permeates the story. The counselor (his name is never revealed, like another character in a film with a similar theme, "The Pusher" with Daniel Craig) gets involved in a deal and consequently in an environment filled with sharks, people much tougher than him. Ridley Scott manages to depict the vortex into which he is swallowed, a progressive anguish and a descent into hell, with an ending that could hardly be more pessimistic.
SPOILER: Some scenes remain striking, like the intriguing conversation about the "Bolito" and the consequent spectacular murder of Westray (Brad Pitt) or the motorcycle "accident" involving the courier.
The cast performs its duty and among Fassbender, Pitt, Cruz, and Bardem, the best of the lot is undoubtedly Cameron Diaz. Her Malkina is a woman of personality, a shrewd and skilled manipulator, capable of playing the double game excellently, protagonist of a cult scene, a metaphor for the decadence of the globalized world. I am convinced that "The Counselor" will be re-evaluated over time. There are references and dialogues that aren't noticed at first, but with more viewings, one can better appreciate what McCarthy and Scott want to show us.
Rating: *** 1/2
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