The script for the The Counselor was author Cormac McCarthy’s first original screenplay. It is a morality tale that explores the idea that there are always consequences for our actions in life. The film is set in the American southwest of New Mexico and Texas, and tells the story of a man known only as the Counselor (Michael Fassbender)—a straight-laced lawyer who is madly in love with his girlfriend Laura (Penélope Cruz)—who decides to do something out-of-character, partaking in a get-rich-quick drug trafficking deal that ultimate leads to his undoing. Arranging this transaction is rich nightclub owner/restaurateur Reiner (Javier Bardem), whose sociopathic girlfriend Malkina (Cameron Diaz) is pulling the strings in the background, and has some ulterior motives of her own.

This Blu-ray contains both the original theatrical version as well as an unrated extended cut that runs about 20 minutes longer. For this review, I only watched the unrated cut, as that is always what I always opt for when there is a choice. However, in this case, I don’t think that was the right decision. There are so many overly-long, unnecessary dialogues between the characters during the first two acts that really drag down the film. I would recommend that first-time viewers stick to the theatrical version of the film.

Despite the wordiness of the extended cut, I found the characters interesting and well-defined, and while the film seems very disparate at the beginning, all of these elements really come together in the end for an exciting third act. I think if I had stuck with the theatrical cut, I would have found this ending a little more satisfying, but with the extended version, it just took too long to get there.

The Blu-ray presentation is excellent. In the audio commentary, Ridley Scott mentions this was the second time he has used the RED camera to shoot the film digitally (Prometheus being the other). The picture looks crisp and clear with no trace of grain (though, for this film, I think a little bit of grain would have also added to the look and feel). The film’s audio track is equally successful at capturing the film’s dialog as well as the film’s score and ambiance.

As for bonus features, there are some short back-story scenes for the main characters on the first disc with the theatrical cut. And on the second disc, there is an extensive audio commentary/behind-the-scenes featurette hybrid that plays over the unrated cut. I thought this was really well done. The video clips are seamlessly integrated into the commentary, making for an interesting three and a half hour documentary on the making of the film. These video clips are also available for viewing outside of the commentary.

What’s Included:

Film:

Blu-ray:
• Theatrical Version (1:57:14)
• Unrated Extended Cut (2:17:56)
• 1080p / Widescreen 2.40:1
• Audio: Theatrical: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English Descriptive Audio 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Castillian DTS 5.1, Italian DTS 5.1, Portuguese Dolby Digital 5.1, Russian DTS 5.1, Ukranian Dolby Digital 5.1
  Unrated: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French, Castillian, Danish, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Russian, Swedish, Estonian, Hindi, Latvian, Lithuanian, Mandarin, Ukranian

Digital Copy (Redemption Deadline 2/11/2017):

• UltraViolet DigitalHD Copy of Theatrical Cut redeemable via Flixster, Google Play or Vudu

Extras:

• Viral Pieces: Uncut (7:29)
  Short scenes that add a little back-story for each of the film’s main characters. Play All or select from “Laura”, “The Counselor”, “Malkina and Reiner”
• Theatrical Trailers and TV Spots
  • Theatrical Trailers (5:50)
    Play All or select from “Trailer G”, “Trailer H” and “Trailer I”.

  • TV Spots (4:50)
    Play All or select from “Been Bad”, “Greed”, “Has To Be Seen”, “How Bad”, “Life”, “Pedigree Event”, “Pedigree Event Revised”, “Problem”, “Quotes”, and “Trouble Review”.
• Sneak Peek (13:59)
  Play All or select from trailers for “Robocop”, “Runner Runner”, “12 Years a Slave”, “Out of the Furnace”, MGM 90th Anniversary, and “The Family”
• Truth Of The Situation: Making The Counselor (3:36:01)
  Director Ridley Scott provides an interesting behind-the-scenes commentary throughout the unrated cut of the film. He notes what’s different about the extended cut, and discusses the filming locations, characters, script, costumes, shooting in digital and other aspects of the production. During the commentary, it seamlessly cuts away to other relates behind-the-scenes featurettes. These video portions are also available to play separately via a Play All (1:18:32) or individually. In addition to cast/creator interviews, these also contain raw footage of Ridley Scott directing the actors in their scenes.
  

  • “Tragic Consequences” (6:56)
    The cast and crew talk about working with Cormac McCarthy on his first original screenplay. Includes interviews with director/producer Ridley Scott, writer/executive producer Cormac McCarthy, and stars Cameron Diaz, Michael Fassbender, and Javier Bardem.
  • “A Different Southwest” (8:30)
    Takes a look at the filming locations in the UK and Spain that doubled for Texas and New Mexico. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/producer Ridley Scott, production designer Arthur Max, executive producer Mark Huffam, supervising location manager James Grant and star Javier Bardem.
  • “The Counselor” (6:38)
    The cast and creators discuss the character of “The Counselor”, and the journey he goes through. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/producer Ridley Scott, costume designer Janty Yates, writer/executive producer Cormac McCarthy, and stars Michael Fassbender and Cameron Diaz.
  • “Pool Party” (3:04)
    Cast members Michael Fassbender and Cameron Diaz, and production designer Arthur Max provide voice-over commentary over behind-the-scenes footage of the pool party scene, explaining the significance of the scene.
  • “Reiner” (8:59)
    The cast and creators discuss the character of “Reiner”, his style and his relationship with Malkina. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/producer Ridley Scott, costume designer Janty Yates, and stars Javier Bardem and Cameron Diaz.
  • “Laura” (5:52)
    The cast and creators discuss the character of “Laura”, her backstory, her relationship with The Counselor and their film-opening sex scene. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/producer Ridley Scott, costume designer Janty Yates, writer/executive producer Cormac McCarthy, and star Michael Fassbender.
  • “Malkina” (5:47)
    The cast and creators discuss the character of “Malkina”, her style, her tattoos and her sociopathic nature. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/producer Ridley Scott, costume designer Janty Yates, and stars Cameron Diaz and Javier Bardem.
  • “Polo Club” (3:37)
    Behind-the-scenes footage from the filming of the Polo Club scene with voice-over commentary by supervising location manager James Grant, director/producer Ridley Scott, and star Michael Fassbender.
  • “Lensing the Dark World” (7:18)
    The cast and creators talk about working with director Ridley Scott. Includes behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with director/producer Ridley Scott, production designer Arthur Max, executive producer Mark Huffam, and stars Michael Fassbender, Javier Bardem and Cameron Diaz.
  • “Westray” (4:38)
    The cast and creators discuss the mysterious character of “Westray” and Brad Pitt’s portrayal of him. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with director/producer Ridley Scott, costume designer Janty Yates, and star Michael Fassbender.
  • “Downward Spiral” (4:14)
    Behind-the-scenes footage of Ridley Scott directing the actors for the scene when The Counselor tells Reiner that everything is starting to fall apart.
  • “The Cheetahs” (7:54)
    The creators talk about working with the cheetahs. Includes behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with director/producer Ridley Scott, cheetah handler Alan Ames, and executive producer Mark Huffam.
  • “The Bolito” (4:43)
    The creators and cast talk about creating the deadly bolito device. Includes behind-the-scenes footage of the filming of the scenes, and interviews with director/producer Ridley Scott, special effects technician Matthew Horton, production designer Arthur Max, and star Cameron Diaz.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, the film looks great, has some excellent performances—it was nice to see Cameron Diaz playing such a different role from her usual type—and an interesting plot. The discs are loaded with extensive behind-the-scenes material that give a great glimpse into the making of the film. The discs contain both the theatrical version as well as an extended cut, but first-time viewers should stick with the theatrical cut of the film.