The Counselor is a tremendous letdown. I'll be honest. I had very high expectations here. Michael Fassbender, Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Brad Pitt, Carmen Diaz, in a Ridley Scott directed, Cormac McCarthy written film. It seems impossible that a stellar cast under the guidance of such a gifted filmmaker and writer would be a step above awful. Unfortunately this is the case. The Counselor is dreadfully boring and loaded with frilly, pretentious dialogue. The actors are trussed up like peacocks, spouting their pseudo-intellectual lines like verbal diarrhea. There are a few scenes that illicit a slight chuckle, but otherwise The Counselor is a total dud.

Fassbender stars as The Counselor, a pretty boy lawyer with a lot of scumbags for clients. He's fallen in love with nice girl Laura (Cruz), puts a ring on her finger, and wants a big score to ride off into the sunset wealthy. Insert Javier Bardem, with his porcupine quill hair and spray on tan, as Reiner; a rich client who owns nightclubs and does business with the Mexican drug cartels. Reiner's gal pal is the tattooed, gold tooth wearing, sex fiend, Malinka (Diaz). The Counselor and Reiner are in league with Westray (Pitt), a Stetson wearing middle man. They conspire to smuggle $20 million dollars worth of heroine across the border in a septic truck. Unfortunately for them the truck is stolen. Leading to a run for the hills as the cartel comes knocking for their money.

The entire plot of The Counselor is painfully obvious and can be summarized simply; a greedy lawyer and his equally greedy pals pay the price for their greed. What's really annoying is that each character is keenly aware of the dangers, constantly warn each other about the possibilities, and engage in this activity anyway. What's also ridiculous is that they are all deeply suspicious of the Malinka character, but ignore their common sense and carry on with her regardless. I suppose what McCarthy is trying to say, in his flourish of unnecessary discourse, is that greed overcomes objections and will lead to a dire fate. My issue is that the characters are not neophytes. They are firmly entrenched in the world of the illegal. They would not make the kind of mistakes made in this plot with their experience.

Cormac McCarthy has a certain type of writing style that works for his novels, but did not translate well into this script. His previous novels like The Road and No Country for Old Men were adapted by skilled screenwriters. McCarthy's script is going for a Shakespearean like tragedy, but comes off as fumbling and obtuse. The keep it simple strategy works in every circumstance. If your script is burdened then your movie will be as well. I feel that Ridley Scott was so in love with his writer and cast, that he lost track of how the overall film was coming together. The result is a film that doesn't entertain, which in my review of Scott's tremendous body of work is a first.

The Counselor is an almost abysmal film experience. You can't help but feel let down with all of the talent wasted. The best ingredients don't always bake the tastiest cake. I'll liken The Counselor to expecting a sweet cherry pie at a diner and getting a plate full of tofu. Save two hours of your life and avoid this movie.