The Counselor Movie Review

The Counselor is one hell of a black cloud of feels. It's got the makings of a great movie although it will probably leave you with a dark cloud over your head; but really that's the fun part!

The movie is directed by Ridley Scott and written by Cormac McCarthy. It stars a powerhouse cast including Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Brad Pitt and Michael Fassbender as the eponymous Counselor.

CAST

The sound acting of Fassbender once again makes this an OK movie. Penelope Cruz was so-so as Fassbender's fiancee. Cameron Diaz plays Malkina, a manipulative she-devil. She actually tried to be this ice cold sex-depraved ice queen but it failed big time. Although she did good with the closing scene. Javier Bardem and Brad Pitt's characters were used as a means of foreshadowing things down the line. Bardem in particular had some really great lines in this flick. As for Pitt, I was like, was he even there?

VISUALS

Be prepared for violence and some nasty stuff. Hey we're in Mexico and things can really be like that (the same can be said for Manila too). The Counselor's got a lot of savagery AND beauty mixed in it. I wouldn't call the ageing Cameron Diaz as a real beauty but she's still visually appealing. Penelope Cruz on the other hand is still... well... HOT DAMN. I like the scenery and how it changes from squalid and dirty to super modern and posh. 

DIALOGUE

Chalk it up to the film having been developed and conceptualized by Cormac McCarthy so expect to have awesome dialogue. The fun thing here is that you could probably make some of those dialogues into life lessons.

VERDICT:

Seriously, I wanted to love THE COUNSELOR but that horrible, bleak ending just turned me off. This is also the reason why it took me a while before I even published this review. It's going to leave a mark on you; despite what the main drive is about moving on and accepting what fate has offered it still really leaves a sour note. 

7.5/ 10

Stellar Cast as Damaged Goods in "The Counselor"

Probably this year’s jaw-dropping crime thriller so far, “The Counselor” is both an amazing and devastating cautionary tale about greed helmed by no less than Academy-Award nominee director/producer Ridley Scott (“Alien,” Black Hawk Down,” “Prometheus,” “Hannibal”) and written by Pulitzer-Prize winner Cormac McCarthy who recent novels “All The Pretty Horses,” “No Country for Old Men,” “The Road” and “Child of God” have all been made into acclaimed major motion pictures.

Filled with a sterling cast headed by Michael Fassbender in the titular role, “The Counselor” also stars Academy-Award winning couple Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz along with acclaimed blockbuster stars Brad Pitt and Cameron Diaz.

The movie introduces us to The Counselor, played by Fassbender who is seduced by the high life of sophisticated crime when he decides to cross the line and dabble in one illicit drug deal. It is a contemporary thriller about the terrible consequences for an American lawyer who, tempted by the lure of quick money, gets involved in a drug deal that leads right to the heart of the ruthless Mexican drug cartels.



The eponymous Counselor – we never know his name – gets in deeper and deeper as the stakes get higher and the bodies start to pile up. Fassbender stars asthe Counselor and Cruz plays his beautiful girlfriend, Laura. Bardem plays a drug dealer, Reiner, and Pitt stars as Westray, a middleman in the proposed deal. Diaz is the exotic, and highly dangerous, Malkina.

“It was so well written, sophisticated and balanced, and while there’s a lot of information there, Cormac had left enough space for an actor to fill it in,” says Fassbender. “It was just a masterful piece of work.”
He adds: “And I just love working with Ridley. It’s like a master class every day.”



Perhaps The Counselor’s greatest failing is his hubris. “He thinks he’s smarter than he is,” says Fassbender. “He is given enough opportunity to get out of the deal, yet he repeatedly says he’s all right, and he is obviously not all right. There’s a blind arrogance that drives him forward.”

Reteaming with Ridley Scott, who launched his career in “Thelma & Louise,” Pitt brings unbridled charisma to a quirky and unforgettable character. The chance to reunite with Scott and work with a script from a writer he’s long admired was irresistible. “I’m a Cormac McCarthy fan – I mean, I’ve read every word the guy’s published and most of the books more than once.”

Diaz, who shares most of her scenes with Bardem, describes the characters’ complicated relationship: “Malkina has found her sweet spot in Reiner. He is a man who will do anything for her, and of course, she had created that scenario. Ruining people’s lives is a sport for her. It makes her feel alive.”

Intermingled with the titular character’s inexorable path to disaster, is Cormac McCarthy-esque dark humor. “I think there’s humor in everything,” says Scott. “The characters are damaged goods; they’re attractive but they’ve all ducked and dived in their professions,” and that leads to unexpected moments of humor. Adds Steve Schwartz: “These characters could only have come from Cormac. And while they vary in the extent and color of their flaws, they are always fun to watch.”

“The Counselor” opens November 13 in theaters from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

New Poster for 20th Century Fox's THE COUNSELOR

Check out this new poster for Ridley Scott's THE COUNSELOR.

Acclaimed filmmaker Ridley Scott assembles a stellar cast of actors in the sexy and gritty thriller “The Counselor” headed by Michael Fassbender in the titular role with Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem and Brad Pitt.

Scott directs from a script written by Pulitzer awardee Cormac McCarthy that trails the story of a respected lawyer known as the Counselor (Fassbender) whose life had gone haywire from his one-time dalliance with an illegal business deal that spiraled out of control.

The latest poster reveal of “The Counselor” preps audience for a gripping watch with characters deeply involved in a tale of greed, jealousy and the devastating criminal underworld.




“The Counselor” will now open on November 13 in cinemas nationwide from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

THE COUNSELOR Character Posters

Legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott and Pulitzer Prize winning author Cormac McCarthy (“No Country for Old Men”) have joined forces in the motion picture thriller “The Counselor,” starring Michael Fassbender, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem, and Brad Pitt. McCarthy, making his screenwriting debut and Scott interweave the author’s characteristic wit and dark humor with a nightmarish scenario, in which a respected lawyer’s one-time dalliance with an illegal business deal spirals out of control.

“The Counselor” is a cautionary tale about mistakenly tempting fate. Rounding off this tale are people who get involved in something they should have stayed out but are eventually lured into a world where immense amount of cash can be quickly handed in a very dangerous way.

Revealed are the latest online character posters of “The Counselors” assembled to portray unforgettable characters – damaged goods yet attractive who have all ducked in unexpected moments of thrill and humor.

Michael Fassbender is simply known as The Counselor tempted to try for once an illegal way of amassing a large amount of money instantly. Although he’s received numerous warnings about the potential dangers of getting into this deal, his blind arrogance deafened him of those warnings.

Laura, played by Penélope Cruz is the fiancée of The Counselor. Laura is a beautiful woman whom The Counselor prizes the most. Her intelligence and foresight – and her love for The Counselor – are no match for his descent into the rabbit hole, and they both face tragic consequences if the deal he has made with unseen, powerful forces, goes south.

Javier Bardem takes on the colorful character of Reiner, a nightclub owner who brought The Counselor into the shady deal. Reiner straddles two worlds: the extravagant and decadent realm of a nightclub owner, and the brutal, lawless and merciless criminal underworld that is rapidly closing in on The Counselor, and on Reiner. Reiner appears to possess special insight into The Counselor’s increasingly dire circumstances, but he’s just as much a potential victim of a life he little understands.

Malkina, the toughest and probably the darkest of characters who surrounds The Counselor is played by no other than Cameron Diaz. As Reiner’s malevolent girlfriend, Malkina’s drive is to take control and possess anything she believes she deserves.

Brad Pitt rounds up the cirque of intrigue with his portrayal of Westray, a philosophizing and shady middleman whose warnings to The Counselor about the dangers of a world he seeks to enter go unheeded. Handsome, charming and witty, Westray is also an unapologetic womanizer.

“The Counselor” will open November 13 in cinemas from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

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THE COUNSELOR Gets a New Trailer

20th Century Fox releases the much anticipated trailer of “The Counselor” today, August 20 at YouTube/20thCenturyFoxPh at 5:00pm.

“The Counselor” is an intense suspense-thriller that brings an ensemble of Hollywood’s most multi-faceted actors including Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Javier Bardem, Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz, directed by blockbuster maker Ridley Scott (“Gladiator,” “Black Hawk Down,” “Alien,” “American Gangster”) and written by Cormac McCarthy, a Pulitzer Prize winner whose works have been turned into acclaimed films such as “No Country For Old Men,” “The Road” and “All the Pretty Horses.”

Fassbender plays a lawyer known as the counselor whose involvement with a drug trafficking syndicate goes awry along with an accomplice played by Brad Pitt. Bardem who plays partner to Fassbender’s character further deepens the plot with his relatively strong ties with the drug cartel while equally strong femme fatale characters are played by Penelope Cruz and Cameron Diaz. “The Counselor,” lured by the sparkling promise of easy money in drug trafficking soon finds out that he will soon have to escape the fatal consequences of his euphoric decision.

“The Counselor” will open November 13 in theaters nationwide from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

The Counselor Teaser Trailer featuring Pitt, Bardem, Fassbender, Cameron Diaz

Here's a teaser trailer for Ridley Scott's next film "The Counselor" with writing credits from Cormac McCarthy. The film is currently in post-prod and stars Brad Pitt (World War Z), Javier Bardem (Skyfall), Michael Fassbender (Prometheus), Cameron Diaz and Penelope Cruz (who both worked on "Vanilla Sky".

From Academy Award nominee Ridley Scott comes "The Counselor" starring Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, John Leguizamo, Penelope Cruz and Cameron Diaz.

Written by Pulitzer Prize winner Cormac McCarthy, "The Counselor" follows lawyer (Fassbender) who he decides to get involved in a drug deal worth millions. Thinking that his involvement in the deal with a friend (Bardem) and a drug broker (Pitt) will never suck him down, he soon learns that such decision will lead him on a desperate trail of survival.

"The Counselor" will open November 15 in theaters from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

View the teaser trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkMt1ZFf3Ec&feature=youtu.be

Given the star quality found in this movie, I'm inclined to think that this is going to be a good movie. Plus McCarthy's here so this should be hard-hitting. If you're not aware, Cormac McCarthy also wrote some heavy stuff like the Oscar winning "No Country for Old Men", the beautiful yet gory "The Road" and "All the Pretty Horses".

Here's the trailer anyway.



And GOT fans would be happy to know that Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell) is also in this flick. The Counselor opens November 13 from 20th Century Fox.

World War Z Review

Here's my take on Brad Pitt's World War Z courtesy of course by Solaire Resort.

A little primer before we actually start the review. World War Z is lifted from a book written by Max Brooks. It's written as a fictionalized recounting of survivor stories before, during and after the zombie pandemic that occurred in the near future. There are several characters in the book, they never intersect but they all share similarities. It's a tale of triumph and tragedy and human resilience in the face of extinction. It's a really great book.

That being said, Brad Pitt's version of World War Z isn't in the same page as that of Brooks' work. If anything, they only share the name and the main antagonist. I'll quote the bleedingcool.com review as to how the film shoul've been treated:

"If the film’s title had been something like ‘Tales From World War Z: #1, Gerry Lane’ I think fewer devotees of the book would be so incensed that the movie had very little to do with the source material."

New Poster for Brad Pitt's World War Z

A new World War Z poster just popped out and I can say that its really generic, unlike the last poster with just the film's star Brad Pitt.

Currently this posters available only on lo-res. Hopefully I get to encounter a hi-res version of this. Here's the synopsis as well:

"The story revolves around United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself."

Another New Poster for Brad Pitt's World War Z

While the previous World War Z poster played on the ghastly zombies in the film as a theme, the new one has a more cinematic vibe. Oh and it's got Brad Pitt this time.

As for me, I've come to terms with the fact that this is going to be so far from Max Brooks' book. So the expectations are lowered. Still this one looks pretty good. World War Z will be released locally by Solar Entertainment.

New Poster and Trailer for World War Z

Brad Pitt is in for some serious trouble when he squares off against the zombie horde in Paramount's 'World War Z' which is an adaptation of the book of the same title written by Max Brook. 

Synopsis: The story revolves around United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself.

BRAD PITT'S CRIME COMEDY “KILLING THEM SOFTLY” EXCLUSIVE AT AYALA MALLS

The Weinstein Company's critically-acclaimed crime comedy “Killing Them Softly” starring Brad Pitt will be shown exclusively at Ayala Malls Cinemas (Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3 and Trinoma) starting Dec. 5.

In the film, three dumb guys who think they’re smart rob a Mob-protected card game, causing the local criminal economy to collapse. Pitt plays the enforcer hired to track them down and restore order.

“Killing Them Softly” also stars Richard Jenkins (“The Cabin in the Woods”), James Gandolfini (“The Taking of Pelham 123”), Ray Liotta (“Narc”), Scoot McNairy (“Argo”) and Ben Mendelsohn (“The Dark Knight Rises”).

New Trailers for World War Z and Les Miserables

Two new trailers came out today that being the first trailer for World War Z and the international trailer for Les Miserables. 

This stars Brad Pitt and is based on the novel by Max Brooks. 

Brad Pitt plays a U.N. employee racing against time and fate as he travels the world trying to stop the outbreak of a deadly zombie pandemic, and his Plan B shingle is producing. Mireille Enos ("Big Love", "The Killing") plays his wife, a mother of two girls. Their co-stars include Eric West, Matthew Fox, David Morse, and James Badge Dale.