[Screen It]

 

"THE COUNSELOR"
(2013) (Michael Fassbender, Javier Bardem) (R)


Alcohol/Drugs Heavy
Blood/Gross Stuff Extreme
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude Extreme
Frightening/Tense Scenes Heavy
Gun/Weapons Extreme
Imitative Behavior Heavy
Jump Scenes None
Music (Scary/Tense) Heavy
Music (Inappropriate) Heavy
Profanity Extreme
Sex/Nudity Extreme
Smoking Mild
Tense Family Scenes Heavy
Topics to Talk About Heavy
Violence Extreme


QUICK TAKE:
Dramatic Thriller: A lawyer's life unravels when things go wrong after he gets involved in the drug trade in hopes of making a lot of fast money.
PLOT:
A never identified lawyer known only as the Counselor (MICHAEL FASSBENDER) would seem to have it all -- a good lifestyle and enough money to fly to Amsterdam and rent a Bentley to select a large engagement ring diamond for his girlfriend, Laura (PENELOPE CRUZ). Yet, he's in need of or at least desirous of a lot of fast money and thus asks his client-friend Reiner (JAVIER BARDEM) to get him in on a lucrative deal. With several pet cheetahs, an expensive sports car and an exotic girlfriend in the form of Malkina (CAMERON DIAZ), Reiner is living a lavish lifestyle.

Yet, he warns the Counselor that if he gets involved with a large shipment of cocaine, he needs to be prepared for moral dilemmas he couldn't have imagined. That's pretty much the same advice given to the Counselor by Reiner's middle-man contact, Westray (BRAD PITT), who tries to advise the lawyer to back away from the deal.

Undeterred, he opts in and the drugs start the beginning of their journey hidden in a septic truck. But little does the Counselor realize that an act of kindness -- bailing the adult son of his imprisoned client, Ruth (ROSIE PEREZ), out of jail -- will soon have his life and that of others unraveling.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
Some older teens might be interested, especially if they're fans of anyone in the cast. Otherwise, I just don't see a lot of kids wanting to see it.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R
For graphic violence, some grisly images, strong sexual content and language.


I have subscribed to ScreenIt for more than a decade. I check in every week to take advantage of their amazing services. Not only does their site provide a glimpse of exactly what content a movie offers, I've found the “Our Take” reviews and ratings for each movie to be right on the money every single time. I've referred dozens of friends to this service because my #1 resource for deciding whether or not to show a movie to my kids, or to see one myself, is ScreenIt.com!

Josh Nisbet
Director, State of CA Public Sector

I signed up to get Screen It weekly reviews a long time ago, when my kids were young and I wanted to know more about movies before we went to a theater or rented. Now one child is in law school, other in undergraduate, and I still read the weekly Screen Its! It helps me know what my husband and I want to see or rent, and what to have waiting at home that we all will enjoy when my "kids" come home. I depend on Screen It reviews. They usually just present the facts and let me decide if the movie is appropriate or of interest for my family and me. Thank you for providing that service, Screen It!

Patti Petree
Winston Salem, NC

I have 4 children who are now in college. I signed up for Screen It when my children were pre-teenagers. Often my children would ask to see a movie with a friend and I wished I could preview the movie prior to giving permission. A friend told me about ScreenIt.com and I found it to be the next best thing to previewing a movie. The amount of violence, sexual content, or language were always concerns for me and my husband as we raised innocent kids with morals. We constantly fought the peer pressure our kids received to see films that in our opinion were questionable. With the evidence we received at Screen It, our kids couldn't even fight us when we felt a film may have been inappropriate for them to watch. Thank you, Screen It. Continue to make this helpful service available to everyone, but especially the young parents.

Christine Doherty
Machesney Park, IL

Screenit.com is an amazing resource for parents, educators, church groups or anyone who wants to make an informed decision whether a movie is suitable for their viewing. The reviews and content descriptions are so detailed I am mystified how the reviewers can put them together.

Scott Heathe
Vancouver, BC

I love screen It! I don't know what I would do without it. It is well worth the membership. Before we take our son to the movies we check it out on screen it first. Thank you SO much for making it. Keep up the good work & keep 'em coming!!!

Patrina Streety
Moreno Valley California

Other new and recent reviews include:

[Around the World in 80 Days] [Family Camp] [Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness]

Privacy Statement and Terms of Use and Disclaimer
By entering this site you acknowledge to having read and agreed to the above conditions.

All Rights Reserved,
©1996-2022 Screen It, Inc.