Javier Bardem and author Cormac McCarthy seem to mesh well together. The first time the two men were both credited on the same project the result was Joel and Ethan Coen's brilliant 2007 thriller No Country For Old Men, a film that not only won Best Picture at the Academy Awards the year it was released but also Best Supporting Actor for Bardem. It's really this connection that makes me more excited than anything for Ridley Scott's The Counselor, the upcoming film based on a screenplay by McCarthy, and it makes me even happier that the Oscar-winning star is at the center of this brand new clip.
As great as it is to see Bardem's wild new look and watch him spar with Michael Fassbender in a scene, however, this preview seems to lack the context necessary to make the scene make sense to anyone who hasn't seen the movie yet. It begins with what sounds like a non-sequitur, with Bardem saying, "I don't suppose I can ask you if you have a rat in your pocket" (is that slang for "are you wearing a wire"?), and then continues with the two talking about a mysterious "him" who I think has gone missing - and that's meeting them more than halfway. The lack of clarity takes away from the clip, and while I'm still looking forward to the movie this doesn't really do anything for me.
In the film Fassbender stars as the titular Counselor, a man living on the border who thinks that he can jump into the drug trafficking business, make a few bucks, and jump right out. Unfortunately, it doesn't take long before the protagonist is dealing with very dangerous people and ends up in over his head. The following recently released trailer should clear up any confusion you may have about the above clip:
In addition to the excellent Fassbender and Bardem, the movie has collected an absolutely impressive ensemble that also includes Penelope Cruz, Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Dean Norris, Natalie Dormer, Rosie Perez, John Leguizamo and Goran Visnijic. While the clip at this top from the article says that the movie will be available in UK starting on November 15th, it will be getting an earlier US debut, set to hit theaters on October 25th.
