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Post by jakesully on Dec 1, 2018 2:28:59 GMT
I liked this probably more than most people on here & think it deserves a higher rating on IMDB . Would love to read your thoughts on this Sir Ridley Scott film. (Pitt & Bardem were the stand outs for me)
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Post by Ryan_MYeah on Dec 1, 2018 2:54:04 GMT
The defining example of an author, no matter how talented, who is completely out of his element. Everything wrong with it traces directly back to McCarthy’s inability to adapt to a new medium. Too often gets sidetracked in the little details, it’s dialogue is embarrassingly on the nose, and in the absence of internal dialogue there’s no way for him to adequately build character. This needed to be a book first, and then some Steven Zaillian type streamline it.
Even Ridley, try as he might, gets so ridiculously literal with his direction. Any shot with a cheetah in it may as well have had a “SYMBOLISM” tag on it. Aside from the occasional fluke success (the county road wire sequence is genuinely fantastic), his heart isn’t always in it either. His direction just feels mechanical, and the pacing and atmosphere suffer because of it. And the cast is trying, but there’s only so much you can elevate poor material. And then others are Cameron Diaz.
So, no, I do not particularly care for this movie.
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Post by jakesully on Dec 1, 2018 3:45:24 GMT
The defining example of an author, no matter how talented, who is completely out of his element. Everything wrong with it traces directly back to McCarthy’s inability to adapt to a new medium. Too often gets sidetracked in the little details, it’s dialogue is embarrassingly on the nose, and in the absence of internal dialogue there’s no way for him to adequately build character. This needed to be a book first, and then some Steven Zaillian type streamline it. Even Ridley, try as he might, gets so ridiculously literal with his direction. Any shot with a cheetah in it may as well have had a “SYMBOLISM” tag on it. Aside from the occasional fluke success (the county road wire sequence is genuinely fantastic), his heart isn’t always in it either. His direction just feels mechanical, and the pacing and atmosphere suffer because of it. And the cast is trying, but there’s only so much you can elevate poor material. And then others are Cameron Diaz. So, no, I do not particularly care for this movie. Haha thanks for your honesty on this Ryan. I can completely see where you are coming from here. For me, I am a sucker for all things revolving around drug cartels. Haven't read the book so I don't know how it compares but I thought there were certain things done well in this . 6.5/10 to 7/10 rating from me. |
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Post by stephen on Dec 1, 2018 5:06:45 GMT
I think it's a much better film than Ryan does, but it's got its issues. Namely, I think that as brilliant as Cormac McCarthy is as a writer, he is very much an author who benefits from constant rewrites, going back over and over to truly perfect a line of prose or a snatch of dialogue until it's perfect. But The Counselor feels very much like a malformed first draft of what could have been, with some tightening and reworking, a flat-out masterpiece. But there are some genius sequences in it. I've called the Ruben Blades sequence one of the highlights of 2013 for me, and the bolito scene is one of the best moments of Ridley Scott's career.
I could go further into it, but ultimately I appreciate the film a great deal but it does feel like something rushed into production before it was ready to come out of the oven.
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The-Havok
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Post by The-Havok on Dec 4, 2018 18:46:09 GMT
One of Ridley's finest and part of the American Nihilism trilogy of 2013.
I wonder what kind of film we would have if Taylor Sheridan penned it.
Much like Miami Vice, It's also pleb filter Whoever dislikes it should have their film taste questioned.
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The-Havok
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Post by The-Havok on Dec 4, 2018 18:48:21 GMT
I think it's a much better film than Ryan does, but it's got its issues. Namely, I think that as brilliant as Cormac McCarthy is as a writer, he is very much an author who benefits from constant rewrites, going back over and over to truly perfect a line of prose or a snatch of dialogue until it's perfect. But The Counselor feels very much like a malformed first draft of what could have been, with some tightening and reworking, a flat-out masterpiece. But there are some genius sequences in it. I've called the Ruben Blades sequence one of the highlights of 2013 for me, and the bolito scene is one of the best moments of Ridley Scott's career. I could go further into it, but ultimately I appreciate the film a great deal but it does feel like something rushed into production before it was ready to come out of the oven. I agree. Having his brother died didn't particularly helped. What's wonderful about this film is how it can enter into the vulgar auteur canon as almost a homage to his late brother. McCarthy needed more time into fully molding something bigger than what we had. But you cannot deny it is a neowestern gem. |
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Post by stephen on Dec 4, 2018 19:01:00 GMT
I think it's a much better film than Ryan does, but it's got its issues. Namely, I think that as brilliant as Cormac McCarthy is as a writer, he is very much an author who benefits from constant rewrites, going back over and over to truly perfect a line of prose or a snatch of dialogue until it's perfect. But The Counselor feels very much like a malformed first draft of what could have been, with some tightening and reworking, a flat-out masterpiece. But there are some genius sequences in it. I've called the Ruben Blades sequence one of the highlights of 2013 for me, and the bolito scene is one of the best moments of Ridley Scott's career. I could go further into it, but ultimately I appreciate the film a great deal but it does feel like something rushed into production before it was ready to come out of the oven. I agree. Having his brother died didn't particularly helped. What's wonderful about this film is how it can enter into the vulgar auteur canon as almost a homage to his late brother. McCarthy needed more time into fully molding something bigger than what we had. But you cannot deny it is a neowestern gem. I actually don't fault Ridley at all for the film. He elevated a lot of what was on the page magnificently. I definitely think Tony's death cast a pall over this movie, but I wouldn't consider that a negative. The scene where Fassbender breaks down in the car is so raw that you have to think that Scott was feeling some kind of way when he was shooting it. |
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The-Havok
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Post by The-Havok on Dec 4, 2018 19:07:00 GMT
I agree. Having his brother died didn't particularly helped. What's wonderful about this film is how it can enter into the vulgar auteur canon as almost a homage to his late brother. McCarthy needed more time into fully molding something bigger than what we had. But you cannot deny it is a neowestern gem. I actually don't fault Ridley at all for the film. He elevated a lot of what was on the page magnificently. I definitely think Tony's death cast a pall over this movie, but I wouldn't consider that a negative. The scene where Fassbender breaks down in the car is so raw that you have to think that Scott was feeling some kind of way when he was shooting it.YEAH. Then when he is crying at the hostel. That's exactly how I saw it as well. The whole Juarez segment was like that, reminiscent of Peckinpah's pessimistic outlook. Another reason why it didn't resonate with audiences so much |
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agent69
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Post by agent69 on Dec 4, 2018 19:07:51 GMT
The movie is horrible and as has been said, almost all of it is on Cormac McCarthy's atrocious script. (Even in novels, his writing is a drag to get through for me).
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Lubezki
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the social distancing
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Post by Lubezki on Dec 4, 2018 21:42:27 GMT
A great remedy for people suffering from insomnia.
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