Review of The Counselor (2013) by Paul H — 19 Feb 2014

Just because you don't personally like a movie, doesn't mean it's bad. "The Counselor" is probably the best example of this that I've seen in recent years.

Watching this film requires some patience and heavy lifting. Many of reviews I've read have criticized fact that the film's characters don't speak in a traditional sense, that the plot is vague, that it's too...talky. All fairly senseless criticisms. It can be hard to watch. And there are things you'll see and hear in this film that you've probably never seen or heard before. Which is a good thing. The dialogue itself is the high point of the film. Highly stylized and razor sharp. Unsettling.

The film is beautifully shot, and the bright locals betray an underlying sense of dread throughout the film. If you're wondering what the film is about...you do have to listen. The Counselor himself is a purposeful blank slate. He is moving through his own version of Dante's Inferno. A journey of choices that inevitably lead to terrible consequences for himself and the others around him. And it's in death that some redemption can be found.

These are pretty common themes in Cormac McCarthy's work. His work is generally hard to stomach, which is why the mediocre reviews didn't surprise me. But give the film a chance. If you don't mind contemplating a bit and soaking in the dialogue and visuals rather than going into summer blockbuster mode, and being a passive observer...this film could surprise you.