“The Counselor” (2013) – Michael Fassbender’s Disastrous Drug Cartel Drama – The Film Buff

Director: Ridley Scott

Author: Cormac McCarthy

Starring: Michael Fassbender, Javier Bardem and Cameron Diaz

‘Waste of talent’

Glamorous style overpowers any substance in “The Counselor,” a film of shamefully wasted talent, bad story, and characters you don’t give a damn about. If you enjoy the bizarre experience of watching a woman sexually fuck a car in the middle of a story that’s meant to be taken seriously, this is the film for you. However, in the event that you’d rather save yourself the ticket price, the same experience can easily be recreated at any time by watching colorful paint dry.

Am I being too hard on this film or just being honest? Honestly, I couldn’t have expected more from this film because of the daring cast. What could possibly go wrong with such talented people? And if anything did go wrong, wouldn’t they be able to lighten up the darkest atmospheres of any film? It’s often said that actors have the ability to create magic in the most unlikely of circumstances, but in Ridley Scott’s “The Counselor,” even they can’t save the day.

The respect I had for them crumbles under the shortcomings of “The Counselor,” a film that doesn’t want you to care about any of its characters, doesn’t bother to engage you with its story, and, worst of all, abuses talented people both in front of and behind the screen. You might be wondering, what’s the real purpose of a film like this? If it refuses to cater to its audience, is there any reason for it to exist at all? To my dismay, acclaimed director Ridley Scott and author-turned-screenwriter Cormac McCarthy considered making fools of themselves. Well, without realizing the real consequences, they’ve made the epitome of a bad decision: a film that delivers everything we go to the movies hoping not to see.

I hesitate to say that there is a plot. If there is one, it is a kind that is far from explainable or even remotely comprehensible in structure. The basics are certainly understandable, but what bothers me is that my brain is fried like scrambled eggs when I start thinking about exactly How it develops. Set in the dark, murky world of drug trafficking, it centers on a drug deal gone wrong. The victim at the center of the situation is a mysterious lawyer who goes by only the name “The Counselor” (Michael Fassbender). Ambitious and remarkably self-assured, he willingly dips his toes into a dangerous world of sex, booze, and life-changing decisions. With no idea how such a business works, he is forced to somehow escape before his head is served up on a silver platter.

From then on, the film demands our attention by piling up countless characters, subplots and ridiculously unusual scenes, but in a catastrophic chaos we find no reason to appreciate them.

The clumsily executed story, while delving into intriguing themes like greed and deceit, features some of the most bland, uninteresting characters you’ll encounter this year. While they undeniably sport stylish outfits like unique hairdos, funky sunglasses, and bright clothes, if you look beyond their appearance, they seem more like empty glasses waiting to be filled than actual people. With one-dimensional personalities, as well as a lack of a sense of presence beyond their sparkly clothes, they want us to care about their lives, even if they themselves seem to have no heart or soul. Trying to find a reason to root for these characters is as frustrating as treading water in shallow water; watching them interact with one another is the equivalent of settling in the loneliest depths of an ocean.

Whatever shades of glory the daring cast saw in playing such confusing roles are beyond my comprehension. Here, most of their talents are unwittingly thrown into a wastebasket, and any charisma they usually possess as movie stars disappears under the spell of bad characterization.

Among the stars who are utterly wasted “one by one” is Penelope Cruz. In a stereotypical, clichéd role as a woman naively unaware of her boyfriend’s whereabouts, the actress has never been more wooden. Her “performance” consists of staring into empty spaces or, as I call it, daydreaming in misery. Gloomy facial expressions suggest that she is perpetually bored and desperate. Is it mere coincidence that I felt the same way when I saw her act?

Michael Fassbender, who plays the lead role as the “counselor,” also lends his talents to a character who is shallow, but less so. Unlike Cruz, whose performance seems effortless, he at least tries to entertain the audience. That said, even when he tries to get the most out of a paper-thin character, his performance lacks the striking charm or charisma that he usually brings to the table as a performer.

Fortunately, on the other end of the spectrum, Javier Bardem and Cameron Diaz seem far more invested in their characters, and in particular, build a fascination behind the personas of their roles. Bardem, sporting his craziest haircut yet, has a radiant presence that sparks a glimmer of hope. But don’t get your hopes up too high… when the time finally comes and we’re allowed to explore the hood beneath his performance, we realize he’s been unfairly wasted as a plot device.

The juiciest role belongs to Cameron Diaz, the only star who made a memorable impression in “The Counselor.” There’s something about her sultry, suspicious eyes and intriguing demeanor that sticks with you long after the credits roll, and despite the queer nature of her character, she brings a creativity to the table that might not have been there had another actress played the part.

Another positive note is the beautiful cinematography and hissing soundtrack that will keep you from falling asleep during the film. The film is shot with a distinctive visual voice that captures the beautiful desert landscapes of New Mexico, and that sets the gritty mood and palpable tension of the story. Cheerful, for every treat for the eyes, there is also a treat for the ears. Daniel Pemberton’s upbeat score, which reminded me of the music from 60s western films like “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” is upbeat and melodic without being overpowering.

Unfortunately, such minor improvements aren’t enough to redeem a film that neither knows what it wants to be nor when to end. Like a teenager who doesn’t know what path to take in life, director Ridley Scott is confused about what mood to set for his film; at times he’s terribly obsessed with the subject of sex, but also determined to plunge into the tragic darkness surrounding the characters’ lives. It creates a strikingly strange contrast, so inconsistent that it’s like watching two different films at once. One of these films is strangely obsessed with sex and is pure idiotic, while the other begs to be taken seriously as a tragedy.

With a sluggish two-hour runtime that feels like three, it’s exhaustingly hard to take the latter seriously when the former is shockingly ridiculous. There’s no tension in either. The pace drags at a snail’s pace, and especially when there’s a lack of interesting characters or events, it creeps up on your senses slowly.

Oh, the joyous wonders of being confused! There’s an incoherence to the collaboration between writer Cormac McCarthy and director Ridley Scott, who have a ridiculously hard time connecting scenes and making them relevant to the story’s development. Countless sequences feel oddly out of place, redundant, even pointless, with no purpose for existing. One such scene announces the arrival of “Breaking Bad” star Dean Norris, who mumbles maybe two or three lines.

But by then it will be far too late for compensation. My mind is already lost in my own thoughts and many of Hollywood’s best actors have lost the special place they once held in my heart.

2/5 stars