As a fan of the movie “Blade Runner,” I’ve read extensively about the making of the classic sci-fi film. In one of the most intriguing stories about its creation, director Ridley Scott says after watching the final cut of the original theatrical release, “That was fantastic. I wonder what it all means.”
I can only imagine what he said after watching “The Counselor,” an incomprehensible mess masquerading as a movie.
Actors spew esoteric dialogue that makes no sense, characters come and go with no explanation of who they are or their relevance to the story, and scenes play out without offering a clue about what’s taking place. Add to this the absence of a discernible plot, and you have 111 frustrating minutes in a theater.
Imagine missing an amazing party, and the next day, everyone is hung over and babbling senselessly about what took place. That’s what watching “The Counselor” is like. While it’s clear a deal involving illegal drugs was set in motion before the movie began, characters talk about the transaction without revealing what their part in it is. This leads to scenes in which characters argue without any obvious reason concerning why and conversations like this:
The Counselor: “What do you do with the money?”
Westray: “Mine goes offshore. We can talk about it if you like but you can’t use my people.”
The Counselor: “All right”
Westray: “Okay, what else? You seem unsettled.”
The Counselor: “I’m all right.”
Westray: “If you’re not in, you need to tell me.”
The Counselor: “Why?”
Westray: “Because you don’t know someone until you know what they want is why. I can’t advise you, Counselor.”
The Counselor: “But you are advising me.”
Westray: “I just need you to be sure that you’re locked in, Because I don’t know. Maybe I should tell you what Mickey Rourke told what’s his face. That’s my recommendation anyway, Counselor; don’t do it.”
The Counselor: “Arson is a serious crime.”
Westray: “Yeah, and so is this.”
Don’t ask me who Westray is. Despite being in several scenes, his part in the deal is never made apparent.
I was able to piece together some details: The Counselor becomes involved in a drug deal to earn quick money, but when the merchandise is stolen, his ties to a particular client lead other people involved in the arrangement to believe he was responsible. Bad things ensue. In the end, the puppet master is revealed to be someone no one but the audience suspected.
Calling this meager plot “threadbare” would suggest it has some substance. It does not. Instead, screenwriter Cormac McCarty seems to be more concerned with moral dilemmas and their consequences. The movie is populated with three kinds of characters: career criminals who do terrible things without blinking; the Counselor, who’s motivated by a desire to lavish his girlfriend with material things, but eschews violence; and victims. There’s irony, too, as the girlfriend only wants to be loved. A scene in which she suggests they escape to unglamorous Boise, Idaho is funny and sad.
While exploring the consequences of compromising one’s morals is a noble quest for a writer, Cormack’s tortuous script – the first for the celebrated novelist of “No Country for Old Men” and “The Road” - alienates viewers, rendering his efforts fruitless.
The script also wastes the movie’s A-list cast. Michael Fassbender, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem, and Brad Pitt are just some of the fine actors who wound up mired in this muddle. Fassbender and Cruz in particular do excellent work, and in certain scenes break down the barrier that exists between the movie and the audience, but those moments are brief and buried under a lot of rubble.
Also, Scott, a remarkable visual stylist, is off his game. “The Counselor” has a sleek but sterile look that fails to please the eye.
I’m tempted to blame Scott for not making sense of the script, but ultimately, McCarthy is response for this bewilderment. Although a skilled novelist and playwright, he has yet to master the language of cinema. This is one party no one needs to feel badly about missing.
One star out of four. Rated R for violence, grisly images, strong sexual content, and language.