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Here's a look at the new movie I saw this week.

The Counselor
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, and Cameron Diaz
Synopsis: Cormac McCarthy has a pretty dim view of the world. You can see that from his writing, which inspired the incredible “No Country For Old Men” and the fascinating apocalyptic epic “The Road.” While his view of people and our world might be dim, it’s also illuminating and forces you to think. Likely that’s what McCarthy sought to do with his latest script, “The Counselor.” It had a lot of familiar tropes — a plot center on drugs, misdeeds and the traffic between Mexico and the United States. It had a strong director — Ridley Scott. And it had a fine cast — Michael Fassbender, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Brad Pitt and Cameron Diaz, among others. What it didn’t have was any pop. It was a story about misguided people engaging in evil deeds and paying high consequences. But it was missing the style, the depth of narrative engagement and the intrigue of his best work. It was just a flat presentation of evil and how it leads to our destruction. The film focuses on The Counselor (Fassbender). He is in love with his new fiancé Laura (Cruz), he’s good at his job and he needs fast cash. So the Counselor turns to one of his shady clients, Reiner (Bardem), and another friend, Westray (Pitt), to get in on a looming drug deal. At various points both Reiner and Westray point out the inherent danger and possible complications to the deal. Both question whether the Counselor really wants to be a part of this deal. In the end, he goes for the money and pushes his chips in. Things, inevitably, go wrong. Despite all the warnings ahead of time, the Counselor seems unprepared for what he faces. Soon all involved face dire consequences as a result of their shady dealings. The best of these kind of movies have moving dialogue and ideas. “The Counselor” is a little too literal in its dialogue. The “object” lessons provided serve more as graphic foreshadowing of what’s to come. Then there’s some tangents that are just strange — particularly regarding the extracurricular activities of Reiner and his girlfriend Malkina (Diaz). At one point the Counselor asks why Reiner shared a particularly graphic story with him. At that point the Counselor speaks for the audience. Reiner replies that he doesn’t know why he shared the story. That’s emblematic of the film. All the elements are there for something great, but none of it really comes together. There are disturbing moments and disturbing sequences. There are fascinating discussions. There is violence. But none of it seems to really flow together. Part of the problem for “The Counselor” is that it will inevitably be compared against “No Country For Old Men.” That film was a fantastic blend of all the elements — dialogue, characters, story and larger themes — that created a whole that was stronger than the sum of its parts. “The Counselor” has some interesting parts, but as a whole it’s a confusing mess. Scott is a fine director who has done some memorable films, but it feels like “The Counselor” lacks a center. Perhaps it’s meant to be a cautionary tale, but for whom? Most people know that getting involved in the international drug trade is a risky and dangerous business, so what is the practical take away and lesson to be taken here? This is a talented cast, too, that isn’t given a lot to do. It’s fitting in a lot of ways that Fassbender’s character is never given an actual name because he lacks three-dimensional depth. He is supposed to be the audience’ gateway into this world, yet we aren’t told a lot about him. We are asked, as an audience, to buy into his relationship with Laura without ever getting any context or any glimpses of why their bond is so strong. The film doesn’t take time to introduce the players or the game in a way that would easy enough to follow. So when we get to the conclusion, which isn’t much of a surprise, there’s little emotional resonance. We barely know these characters, so we can’t really feel anything compelling toward them. In addition, the film introduces so many side characters and offers so many little scenes that don’t really fit with the whole that it becomes a confused and jumbled mess. The ideas in “The Counselor” are lofty, and some of the dialogue even sounds profound. But it’s ultimately empty. All the pieces are there, but someone forgot to put the puzzle together.
Rating: R for graphic violence, some grisly images, strong sexual content and language. Enter with caution.
Verdict: One star out of four.

Upcoming Releases:

Friday, November 1 — "Free Birds," "Last Vegas," "Ender's Game"

Friday, November 8 — "About Time," "Thor: The Dark World," "The Book Thief"

Friday, November 15 — "Best Man Holiday"

Friday, November 22 — "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," "Delivery Man"

Wednesday, November 27 — "Frozen," "Homefront," "Oldboy," "Black Nativity"