Ridley Scott is undoubtedly one of the most recognized and influential directors of all time. His extensive filmography includes the likes of “Alien”, “Blade Runner”, “Black Hawk Down”, and “Gladiator”. However, “The Counselor” feels distant from Scott, being a cool and confident dialogue-driven drama rather than an explosive blockbuster. The film was penned by author Cormac McCarthy, who is most notable for the novel-turned-film “No Country for Old Men”. His dense and ambitious screenplay overpowers the star-studded cast, leaving “The Counselor” as much more of a Cormac McCarthy film, rather than a Ridley Scott film.

The movie follows an unnamed lawyer or “Counselor” (Michael Fassbender, “Prometheus”,) who enters the border-crossing drug trade with his clients Reiner (Javier Bardem, “No Country for Old Men”) and Westray (Brad Pitt). Other players include Reiner’s girlfriend Malkina (Cameron Diaz) and the Counselor’s fiancée, Laura (Penélope Cruz). While the majority of performances, mainly Bardem’s and Pitt’s, are excellent, the biggest downfall of the entire film, is the casting of Diaz.

In “No Country for Old Men”, an unrelenting hitman named Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) embodies pure evil and harsh reality. In “The Counselor”, a similar character is found in Malkina. Though the ideas presented through her character are clear, Diaz’ performance is grossly overacted and comparable to an old-time villain twirling his moustache while standing over a damsel on train tracks. She is simply much better suited for her roles in movies like “Bad Teacher.”

“The Counselor” is the first screenplay written by McCarthy, and it shows. This film reaches for the stars of existentialism and thematic storytelling and, occasionally, is spot on. It opens with a dreamy sequence of the Counselor and Laura lying in bed, confessing their love for each other. They are in blissful ignorance. Feeling invincible, the Counselor buys into a cocaine deal to afford a diamond engagement ring and take on a high-rolling, luxurious lifestyle. When the deal goes south, he is hit with that harsh reality that he isn’t bulletproof. This is much more pronounced in “No Country for Old Men”, with the character of Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), whose ideal life is that of a gun-slinging cowboy, but, like the Counselor, finds much more than he bargained for. “The Counselor” is certainly the work of the same novelist, and it might work much better as a screenplay.

Technically, the film is fine, with some scenes of exceptional lighting and modest cinematography. The sets are well selected, and the music is light but added some subtle emotion. The effects were only in terms of blood and, with the exception of one close-up gunshot, they are intense and gory, adding some grit and horror to the movie.

In all, this is an ambitious and enticing film, with a majority of well-executed facets. It’s a thinker’s film, with an artistic glacier hidden beneath it’s dense surface. Its positives outweigh its negatives, but “No Country for Old Men” is a much better adaptation of McCarthy’s story and ideas. And though his name is attached, “The Counselor” is forgettable in the context of Ridley Scott’s filmography or the other releases of this year in general.