Review of The Counselor (2013) by Ethan A — 07 Jul 2014

Few movies like hearing themselves talk more than this one. The entire first hour is all dialogue and exposition, which really drags on, and when it does kick into gear... it's almost not enough. Now I didn't hate it, in fact The Counselor has moments of sheer brilliance, but when you have a movie written by Cormac Mccarthy, directed by Ridley Scott, and Starring Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem... you expect greatness from the whole show, not just pieces. I do commend the film for being as dark as it is. No doubt the film's bleakness was one of the main reasons most critics and audiences weren't exactly huge fans, but I like how it doesn't shy away from the terrible acts these characters commit and stand for.

I really wanted to love this movie. Its cast, director, writer; all top notch talent, and for the most part...they succeed, but some setbacks prevent The Counselor from being great, and almost stops it from being good.