The Counselor, directed by Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Prometheus
) stars Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class) as a lawyer involved in the Mexican drug trade. Fassbender gets involved in a get rich quick scheme but he is soon in over his head. When a deal goes south The Counselor finds his world slowly crumbling around him as he tries to save himself and the people he loves. WARNING: SPOILERS
Ridley Scott does a great job creating elaborate worlds whether it is a story is set in the far future or one set in our own present day. With The Counselor, Scott manages to capture the intensity and the violence of a world all too real. Scott is great with the “slow burn” and The Counselor is a great example of this technique. The story starts at a slow place gradually pulling you in until, as in this case, all hell breaks loose. I really enjoyed the subtle (maybe not so subtle) foreshadowing of how some characters will meet their demise. By the end of the movie Fassbender’s character is a broken man with nothing.
The all-star cast includes Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men), Cameron Diaz (Charlie’s Angels), Penelope Cruz (Volver) and Brad Pitt (World `War Z).
The Blu-ray includes both the theatrical release and the director’s cut. The latter is preferred by Scott and personally I feel gives more insight to the characters. The director’s cut does clock in a little longer with about 22 minutes more of story than the theatrical release.
The Counselor was released in both a DVD and Blu-ray. The DVD has no special feature but the specifications of the Blu-ray are as follows:
Blu-ray Features
o Unrated Extended Cut
o Theatrical Version
o Truth of the Situation
o Viral Videos
Audio and Subtitles: Spanish, English and French
The Counselor is available now from 20th Century Fox Home Video. The suggested retail for the DVD is $29.98 and the Blu-ray suggested retail is $39.99.
