Ridley Scott Plans The Counselor

[I SEE SPIDEY]

My mom wants to see this but I don't have any desire to. Not that I always agree with critics but holding back reviews until Thursday for a movie like this makes me think that it's going to be extra bad.

 

[Loki882]

I've seen Tweets that say it's ugly and bleak. A movie that'll get an F on Cinemascore.

Given what the subject matter is, I don't know why that's a BAD thing. It's SUPPOSED to be ugly and bleak. That's like saying a serial killer movie is "disturbing" or "sadistic" like it's a bad thing, it's a freaking serial killer movie, of course it is.

 

[hammerhedd11]

It's definitely perplexing that this film has yet to roll out any reviews. I can't see a Cormac McCarthy penned film being THAT bad.

 

[BestGirl]

Some comments coming out on Twitter now and it's quite the divide.

Playlist tweeted ''Diaz is either getting a Razzie or an Oscar nom. There's no inbetween for this movie.''

The tweets I've been reading have made this movie sound truly bizarre. I'm actually a lot more excited about The Counselor than I was before the reactions.

 

[dark_b]

reactions like this make me super hyped.

 

[redhawk23]

http://www.clevescene.com/cleveland/review-of-the-week-the-counselor/Content?oid=3684369 Here is a very negative review. I actually trust that their description of why they dislike the film is entirely accurate, I just have a feeling that I will like it more than them.


Sidenote, have you guys ever seen Tommy Lee Jones' TV adaptation of McCarthey's "The Sunset Limited"? It is a crushing piece of work.

 

[Persona]

Sounds pretty bad.

I don't mind and often like movies that wax philosophical, as long as they do it in an interesting/smart way, but I am wary of ensemble films that try to mesh that with star power and appease both genre conventions and artistic ramblings and end up just being messy, messy, messy.

I think about The Mexican sometimes and what an excruciating watch that thing was.

You have to have a really strong or simple narrative to pull these kinds of movies off and a real focus (like No Country for Old Men had) and it doesn't seem like The Counselor has that. Also, No Country for Old Men had really focused directors at the helm and Ridley, while a strong stylist like the Coen Bros, is definitely not the most focused storyteller out there.

 

[redhawk23]

I don't know, every single one of the complaints in that article could easily be said about reading one of McCarthy's books. Blood Meridian in particular. May be a matter of taste. This certainly won't be a crowd pleasing thriller though.

 

[Ultimatehero]

I was on the fence with this, because I still have no idea what it's about - and that never happens to me from marketing material so it didn't seem to have a focus at all. Holding back reviews added to that then now news that it's leaning negative. Gonna online this one.

 

[redhawk23]

Classy.

 

[Ultimatehero]

EDIT: Oh, online thing, I'm a 90's kid lol. Grew up on that and China Town in NYC.

I was hoping I'd be proven wrong because it's a strong cast, but that it had me asking "what is this about?" told me that probably wouldn't hold up.

 

[MrMaooz]

 

[redhawk23]

Pic of the week. I guess that's the infamous "Mynock" scene I've seen referred to.

 

[Warhammer]

@ that picture

Man, I really hope this film doesn't disappoint. This film just looks so superb with what little marketing there is. I honestly have no idea what this is about, but I keep hoping that Ridley Scott will bounce back and make quality films again. Don't crush my hopes, Scott.

 

[mclay18]

It's definitely perplexing that this film has yet to roll out any reviews. I can't see a Cormac McCarthy penned film being THAT bad.

His books are divisive, though, because of the dark subject matter and controversial topics within most of them. That's why Blood Meridian and Child of God haven't seen a film adaptation yet.

 

[redhawk23]

McCarthy's books can also be a little hard to parse out due to endings many may find anti-climactic and his tendency to not give anyone actual names. His prose can be a bit sparse and he seems to ignore a lot of grammar and punctuation rules at will.

Pretty much all of the complaints I've heard about this movie are probably entirely accurate.

 

[Brother Jack]

His books are divisive, though, because of the dark subject matter and controversial topics within most of them. That's why Blood Meridian and Child of God haven't seen a film adaptation yet.

James Franco is actually doing a film version of Child of God. Should be interesting if nothing else.

McCarthy's one of the best authors ever (however subversive) but this movie might determine if he can write a good movie script. This is the first one he's ever done, not counting No Country which was originally a screenplay but was converted to a novel.

 

[redhawk23]

At the very least, the stage play for The Sunset Limited proved he can write something that can be performed.

But yeah, we'll see how this film comes out.

 

[dark_b]

viral
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNVFopf5iCY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oliXYJrAiiM

they can not hide Diaz's plastic surgery. her face is starting to melt like Stallone.

 

[StarLord]

That scene with Bardem and Diaz was just really weird.

 

[redhawk23]

http://thedissolve.com/reviews/314-the-counselor/

The Dissolve gives an interesting and mostly positive review.

I think they hurt themselves with the embargo. It doesn't seem like most of the reviews are really that bad and the only reviews that seeped out were from people that hated the film enough to feel like crapping on it and were mostly non professionals or from small town newspapers and such.

It looks to be extremely divisive.

 

[Persona]

i love McCarthy. well, okay, "love" isn't the right word to describe how i feel about Blood Meridian, but it's a pretty killer book. The Road is a personal fav.

but, i dunno, just all the promotional stuff for The Counselor has left me completely cold--which is kinda sad to me considering the people involved. i know i should reserve judgment, but i'll just say that the stuff discussed in the negative reactions doesn't surprise me one bit.

 

[Ultimatehero]

The reviews are worse than I thought. 19% top critics on rotten tomatoes. I imagined it would at the very least get 30-45 or something around that level. Can see why they had the embargo.

Rotten tomatoes critics consensus: The Counselor raises expectations with its talented stars, director, and screenwriter -- then subverts them with a wordy, clumsily constructed suspense thriller that's mercilessly short on suspense or thrills.

Kinda what the trailer showed. One thing that surprises me is - has there ever been that big of a gap between all critics and top critics?

 

[Persona]

i dunno if there has ever been a more perfect match of novella with director than No Country with the Coens. that story brought out the best in them and they brought out the best in that story (seriously, i love that book, but the movie is even better).

there's a coldness to Ridley Scott's oeuvre that would superficially seem suited to adapting McCarthy, but the secret of McCarthy is that he's actually very good at making you emotionally invested in his characters without you even realizing it's happening, and with Ridley i feel like that if that happens, it's more by chance or casting than anything. also, i feel like McCarthy's narratives on paper have an intimate, pinpoint type of focus to how they are described and Ridley has always been a stylist that's more about mood and largesse. McCarthy's heavy on mood, too, but it's a very precise thing with him and with Ridley it just isn't.

also, McCarthy writes worlds that, if they are to be shot, should be shot on film--that texture, that contrast. or at least digital that looks like film. it's pretty off-putting to me how digital this movie looks in the promo stuff. when i saw the trailer in the theater, that didn't help, either.

 

[redhawk23]

i love McCarthy. well, okay, "love" isn't the right word to describe how i feel about Blood Meridian, but it's a pretty killer book. The Road is a personal fav.

but, i dunno, just all the promotional stuff for The Counselor has left me completely cold--which is kinda sad to me considering the people involved. i know i should reserve judgment, but i'll just say that the stuff discussed in the negative reactions doesn't surprise me one bit.

Haha, that's about the best way to put a positive opinion about that book. I fully agree.