a&e | FILM REVIEWS
Sex, Drugs, and Cormac McCarthy
“ ROBERT
AMAZING
”
.
A. O. SCOTT,
“A TRIUMPH.
A thrilling, nail-biting, pulse-racing adventure at sea.” PETER TRAVERS,
The Counselor. Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt, and Javier Bardem star in a film written by Cormac McCarthy and directed by Ridley Scott.
“A MASTERPIECE.” DAVID EDELSTEIN,
“++++”
ANN HORNADAY,
Reviewed by Kit Steinkellner
Y
ou don’t get more Hollywood than the all-star roster behind the Cormac McCarthy–penned, Ridley Scott–helmed crime drama The Counselor. For that matter, you don’t get much more Hollywood than Ridley Scott. The Counselor has Tinsel Town pedigree, but it does not play out like a Hollywood movie. It is far too methodically paced, pointedly philosophical, shamelessly strange, and unapologetically brutal. Though this is McCarthy’s first produced IN OVER HIS HEAD: Michael Fassbender joins an allscreenplay, the Pulitzer Prize–winning novelist is star cast as he delves into the world of drug trafficking no stranger to the big screen. His novels All The in The Counselor. Pretty Horses, The Road, and No Country For Old Men have all been adapted into acclaimed films, the last nabbing the 2007 Academy Award for Best Picture. Counselor agrees to bail his client’s son out of jail for a In The Counselor, McCarthy plays straight into his wheel- speeding charge, he unwittingly sets into motion a chain house, concocting the sort of neo-Western, thriller-crime- of events that threatens to undo him (as well as most of drama morality tale that has become his calling card. our main characters). McCarthy does not care about three-act structure. Synopsizing this film is a bit of a tricky proposition, as we are a good hour into the proceedings before the pieces Nor does he care about Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey. of the plot begin to come together. In the meantime, we are Never mind empathy or emotional catharsis. His story is introduced to our main players: the eponymous Counselor told in philosophical conversations punctuated by acts of (Michael Fassbender), an El Paso lawyer on the wrong unspeakable violence (and yes, this includes the Cameron side of the law involved in a sizable drug deal; his unas- Diaz–having-sex-with-a-car scene you’ve been hearing so suming fiancée Laura (Penélope Cruz); his partners in much about). But if those are terms you can agree to, The his illegal dealings, epicurean Reiner (Javier Bardem) and Counselor proves well worthy of your time, not to mention the monastic Westray (Brad Pitt); and Reiner’s mercurial a refreshingly bold use of some of Hollywood’s biggest mistress Malkina (scene-stealer Cameron Diaz). When players. ■
REDFORD
g ives the per for mance of his li fe.
NEVER GIVE UP ATTENTION AMPAS AND SAG NOM. COMM MEMBERS
YOUR MEMBERSHIP CARD AND PHOTO ID WILL ADMIT YOU AND A GUEST TO ANY PERFORMANCE, BASED ON SEATING AVAILABILITY. CERTAIN THEATRE RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY.
SANTA BARBARA Paseo Nuevo Cinemas (877) 789-6684
SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT NO PASSES OR DISCOUNT COUPONS ACCEPTED CHECK THEATRE DIRECTORY OR CALL FOR SOUND INFORMATION AND SHOWTIMES
Man at Sea All Is Lost. Robert Redford stars in a film written and directed by J.C. Chandor. Reviewed by Kit Steinkellner
A
ll Is Lost is filmmaking stripped down to its bare bones. One character. One setting. One problem. In the wrong hands, it could feel like a thought experiment or a dramatic exercise. But lucky for us, this isn’t the case. Written and directed by J.C. Chandor (Margin Call) and starring Robert Redford (who, pushing 80, gives one of the finest performances of his career), All Is Lost is a manOUR MAN: Robert Redford gives the performance of a lifetime versus-nature story where both man in his battle against nature in All Is Lost. and nature are more than worthy matches for one another. We meet “Our Man” (as he is noted in the credits) first way with a quiet and steady competence that feels more in voice-over as he composes a farewell message in a bottle heroic than anything we’ve seen Marvel’s The Avengers do to his loved ones. We then flash back eight days earlier and to date. From a stylistic standpoint, All Is Lost reads kind of bear witness to the first of the story’s troubles — a renegade like a novel in reverse; we get bombarded with visuals, but freight container that collides with Our Man’s yacht, little to go on in the way of dialogue. Like Ryan Gosling’s punching a hole into the hull. Things grow steadily worse no-name driver in Drive, Redford’s character is a man of from there. Imagine every terrible thing that can happen little words. (He gets less than three minutes of talking to a man in the middle of the ocean; most of what you just time here.) It is a rare film that dares to make its audience imagined happens over the course of this film’s hour-and- work this hard and trusts its viewers to be this smart. Intellectually, emotionally, though, it’s a tough watch. But if they 40-minute runtime. As the lead, Redford handles every obstacle flung his endure it, All Is Lost rewards its viewers handsomely. ■
Owen Wilson
Woody Harrelson
Amy Poehler
IN 3D FreeBirds d ©B Buckk McDonald M D ld Productions, P d ti LLC. All Rights Reserved.
FREEBIRDSMOVIE.COM
Artwork © 2013 Relativity Media. All Rights Reserved.
STARTS TOMORROW
AT THEATRES EVERYWHERE! CHECK DIRECTORIES FOR SHOWTIMES • NO PASSES ACCEPTED
october 31, 2013
THE INDEPENDENt
59