In my original theatrical review of The Counselor, I called the film “a spectacular failure on almost every level” and “particularly disappointing considering the talent involved.” Needless to say, I wasn’t exactly keen to revisit the material again, especially with the extended cut running about 20 minutes longer than its theatrical counterpart. But upon further consideration, I recalled several of Ridley Scott’s previous films whose extended/director’s cut were actually more enjoyable, so I decided to give The Counselor the benefit of the doubt.
Oops.
The extended cut of The Counselor still suffers from the same problems with character development and pacing, further exacerbated by an additional 20 minutes that seems to consist of even more nonsensical conversation that says a lot, without actually saying anything at all. It’s an altogether exhausting experience, an absolute struggle to complete, and nearly impossible to recommend.
I say “nearly impossible” because the 2-disc Blu-ray release comes with a single saving grace, an exceptionally detailed supplemental feature titled Truth of the Situation. It’s an interesting hybrid that features a fairly engaging commentary track with director Ridley Scott, and 13 branching featurettes that explore every aspect of the production, from the script to the locations to working with the exotic animals on set. The featurettes can also be viewed on their own, but seamlessly moving from the commentary track to each segment and back again is a unique experience.
The theatrical cut also comes with the standard collection of trailers and TV spots, as well as Viral Pieces: Uncut, three short interludes that serve as a prologue to The Counselor, each centered on different characters. They run about seven minutes in total length, and are about as interesting and engaging as the rest of the film. In others words, feel free to skip them: you aren’t missing much.
Cormac McCarthy is a brilliant novelist, but his screenwriting talents leave much to be desired, and not even Ridley Scott could transform his bloated mess of a screenplay into a compelling experience. Those that appreciate the craft of filmmaking should enjoy the supplements, but everyone else should steer clear of this one.
