History Film / TheCounselor

!!This movie provides examples of:

* [DeadStarWalking: [[spoiler:Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem]] and [[spoiler: Penelope Cruz]].
* DespairEventHorizon: [[spoiler:When the Counselor receives a DVD - and knows, without playing it, that it is a video of Laura's death.]]

* {{Fingore}}: [[spoiler: Westray tries to stop the motor-driven garotte by putting his hands between his neck and the constricting wire. The garrote proves too sharp and cuts off his fingers and head anyway.]]

* HeroicSacrifice [[spoiler: When the Counseler offers to take Laura's place and be tortured to death by the Cartel. [[SubvertedTrope It's already too late.]]]]

* [[spoiler:DeadStarWalking: Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem]] and [[spoiler: Penelope Cruz]].

* [[spoiler:DownerEnding: Let's see: Reiner and Westray are killed. Multiple people, civilian and criminal, are killed in the delivery of the drug shipment to Chicago. Laura is killed in a gruesome, NothingIsScarier manner off-screen. Her death is likely recorded as a snuff film. The tape is sent to the Counselor who has a DespairEventHorizon moment. He'll likely be killed soon after. Malkina, who set the whole plot in motion with the theft of the drug shipment, gets off scot-free with Westray's money.]]

* NoNameGiven: The main character is known simply as "The Counselor". The same thing goes for characters like the Blonde, the Diamond Dealer and el Jefe

** The motor-driven garotte Reiner describes to the Counselor.

* FemmeFatale: Malkina

* {{Foreshadowing}}: In the Extended Cut, Westray makes an offhand comment about snuff films. [[spoiler: Near the end of the film, The Counselor receives a DVD that is most likely a snuff film of Laura.]]

* Foreshadowing: In the Extended Cut, Westray makes an offhand comment about snuff films. [[spoiler: Near the end of the film, The Counselor receives a DVD that is most likely a snuff film of Laura.]]

* [DespairEventHorizon: [[spoiler:When the Counselor receives a DVD - and knows, without playing it, that it is a video of Laura's death.]]

* [[spoiler:DespairEventHorizon: When the Counselor receives a DVD - and knows, without playing it, that it is a video of Laura's death.]]

* [[spoiler: KarmaHoudini]]: [[spoiler: Malkina]]

* SpearCarrier: the Diamond Dealer, the uncredited character played by Leguizamo, the Buyer, the Blonde, el Jefe

* TheCorruption: Going into business with the cartel or getting involved in any kind of crime at all is immensely corrosive to personal ethics.

* EvilIsNotAToy: The CentralTheme of the film; once the deal is done, the Counselor thinks he can walk away from the Cartel. He can't.

* NoNameGiven: The main character is known simply as "The Counselor"
* OffWithHisHead: There are several decapitations, including piano wire stretched across a road and the aforementioned ChekhovsGun.

* CoolGuns/SubmachineGuns: The cartel gunmen who hijack the truck are packing [[MoreDakka full-auto Uzi pistols]].

* FakeAmerican: The Counselor (German/Irish MichaelFassbender), and the Blonde (NatalieDormer, who's English). Also the characters played by Toby Kebbell and Emma Rigby, both of whom are English.

* FakeAmerican: The Counselor (German/Irish MichaelFassbender), and the Blonde (Natalie Dormer, who's English). Also the characters played by Toby Kebbell and Emma Rigby, both of whom are English.

* LosingYourHead: There are several decapitations, including piano wire stretched across a road and the aforementioned ChekhovsGun.

* ChekhovsGun: The motor-driven garotte Reiner describes to the Counselor.

''The Counselor'' is a 2013 thriller directed by Creator/RidleyScott and starring MichaelFassbender, PenelopeCruz, Creator/CameronDiaz, and Creator/BradPitt. It is notable for being the first original screenplay written by novelist CormacMcCarthy (of ''NoCountryForOldMen'' and ''TheRoad'' fame) to be produced.

* FakeAmerican: The Counselor (German/Irish MichaelFassbender), and the Blonde (Natalie Dormer, who's English).

* TheBechdelTest: The film passes it but the two female characters involved are hardly three-dimensional nor are they particularly strong female characters.

* TheCorruption: The Cartel itself is played like this.

* ChekhovsGun: The motor-driven garotte Westray describes to the Counselor. [[spoiler:[[{{Gorn}} Guess who we see it demonstrated on first?]]]]

* EvilIsNotAToy: The CentralTheme of the film; once the deal is done, the Councilor thinks he can walk away from the Cartel. He can't.

--> At our noblest we announce to the darkness that we will not be diminished by the brevity of our lives. That we will not be made less.

--> At our noblest we announce to the darkness that we will be diminished by the brevity of our lives. That we will not be made less.

''The Counselor'' is an upcoming thriller directed by Creator/RidleyScott and starring MichaelFassbender, PenelopeCruz, Creator/CameronDiaz, and Creator/BradPitt. It is notable for being the first original screenplay written by novelist CormacMcCarthy (of ''NoCountryForOldMen'' and ''TheRoad'' fame) to be produced.

The film will be released on October 25. Trailers can be seen [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R72CL5ho6tU here]] and (along with a synopsis and character summary) [[http://www.thecounselormovie.com/ here]]. A curious thing about the film poster is that the actors are seen without their names listed at all. A way of avoiding the MisplacedNamesPoster, or are the actors just that popular?