★★½
The latest Ridley Scott venture, "The Counsleor," is a sexy, thrill ride of drugs, debauchery, double-crosses and death all rolled into an all-star ensemble cast. While there is a little lag time throughout the film, there is plenty of high octane (or rather high testosterone/estrogen) to quickly get a rise out of the viewer almost instantly after the lulls.
Michael Fassbender (The Counselor) is a generic lawyer who mixes with some seedy, wanton, yet EXTREMELY high priced clientele. With these various connections, he finds himself at the crux of a 'deal he cannot refuse' to make mucho dinero mas rapido--a deal centered on international cocaine smuggling. A deal he takes with minimal thought to continue to support his lavish lifestyle inclusive of the mountain-top views of New Mexico, the Bentley convertibles, and the 8 carat diamond ring for his finance, Laura (Penelope Cruz). But...as all of these schemes do, this deal goes south quickly due to a few errors that seem just TOO coincidental. Killed runners and missing trucks all linking back to Fassbender's character do not ingraicate him to the finaciers. Excuses and crying abounds, yet the drug barons could care less, they simply want their money and they want it immediately--or else. For all of the plotting and running, Laura pays the ultimate price even though she was the clueless by-stander in all things.
Fassbender's chief connection to the crime world, Reiner (Javier Bardem), seems to float through life without a care. While he helps set the deal, he offers absolutely no insight whatsoever into how to actually handle the stress when things go wrong. He and his sexy girlfriend, Malkina (Cameron Diaz), run a bar, raise cheetahs, and throw wild parties with seemingly endless supplies of cash, drugs, and liquor. Westray (Brad Pitt), Fassbender's seecond contact, supplies the common sense and guidance; but even he doesn't listen to his own advice in the end. Once the events of the double-cross are set into motion, nobody is safe from the vengeance to come.
Cormac McCarthy's (No Country for Old Men) story-line is mesmerizing and true-to-life in the twists and turns, yet the movie falls just a little flat and almost one dimensional. There were many cliches embedded throughout the film that showed an extreme lack of vision. With the all-star cast assembled, there should have been a little more use of Penelope Cruz's character than the (maybe) 10 minutes of screen time allotted. I would liked to have seen a little more back-story on Fassbender's character to show how he really became associated with this underworld. And the use of Rosie Perez in the film should have had more than 4 minutes, considering how her role becomes integral in the downfall of all things Fassbender. However, that said, the screen time for Cameron Diaz was nothing short of amazing.
Cameron Diaz epitomized the sexy, temptress double-crossing femme fatale in this role. She OWNED the entire cast from the get-go. Her character Malkina, intertwined herself into every wrinkle, and fold of the goings-on and did it with such aplomb and wiliness that not once was she suspected of her deception. People treated her like a backdrop to the setting, and she used this to her advantage. I feel that Cameron Diaz is OSCAR-WORTHY for this role and would feel it an extreme injustice if she is not mentioned repeatedly in the coming months. The movie truly starred and showcased her acting ability. Cameron absolutely stole the entire movie!!
Final recommendation--Go see this if you desire a movie that is about the pitfalls of the drug-trade mixed with an almost X-rating AND if you really want to see that Cameron Diaz can act.
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