Renowned filmmaker Ridley Scott
whose genre-defying films such as “Gladiator,” “Black Hawk Down,” “Alien” and
“American Gangster” takes the crime-thriller genre a notch higher in his latest
movie “The Counselor.”
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| Photo courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox |
“The Counselor” brings together a dream cast that includes Michael Fassbender,
Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem and Brad Pitt. The characters
co-exist in the dark, tough and merciless world of drug cartel where a lawyer
known only as the Counselor (Fassbender) is lured into the excitement, danger
and easy-money of drug-trafficking, but finds that his momentary decision leads
him on a downward spiral of unstoppable events and fatal consequences. The
Counselor finds himself way out of his depth when an unplanned series of events
lead to tragic consequences for both him and his fiancée, Laura (Penélope Cruz).
Cruz’s real-life husband, Javier Bardem plays Reiner, a larger-than-life
nightclub owner who brings The Counselor into the shady deal.
Strong female leads are a Scott hallmark and Cameron Diaz portrays one of the
filmmaker’s toughest and darkest characters ever. Diaz brings a rich history of
comedic and dramatic work to her portrayal of Malkina, Reiner’s malevolent
girlfriend who is sophisticated, sexy and darkly unsettling. She is
a sociopath whose lack of empathy means she’s capable of anything.
Malkina’s power stems from her relentless drive to take control and
possess anything she believes she deserves. Whatever the consequences of
her actions, she feels absolutely no remorse.
Diaz
who has appeared in almost all film genres, immediately responded to the script
of “The Counselor.” “Malkina is extremely smart. She is capable of
anything. There is no humanity in Malkina. The two questions she’s always
asking herself are: how can I get what I deserve? What do I have coming
to me? Nothing else, no one else, is of any concern to her. Malkina is so
powerful because she understands the consequences of her actions more than any
other character,” says Diaz of her character.
“The
only thing she wants is more [of everything],” adds Diaz. “Malkina is
compelled to take the power of every man, devour it, and then break down every
woman.” Diaz, who shares most of her scenes with Bardem, describes the
characters’ complicated relationship: “Malkina has found her sweet spot
in Reiner. He is a man who will do anything for her, and of course, she had
created that scenario. Inadvertently, he has allowed her to take control
of his world, to insert herself amidst his business dealings and take what she
believes she deserves. Worse still, she has a good time doing it. Ruining
people’s lives is a sport for her. It makes her feel alive. Reiner
desperately wants to make her happy but she will never be happy. He will always
keep trying, which means she can get whatever she wants, however she wants it
and just give him enough to keep coming back.”
Sharing
a considerable amount of screen time with a pair of cheetahs, Diaz wore a
cheetah tattoo on her back and explains the link: “It’s the purity of the
hunter in the cheetah she responds to and indeed loves. The tattoo
symbolizes her adoration and admiration for the cheetah because she feels such
a kinship she is literally assuming their skin – the skin of the hunter because
that’s who she is.”
Diaz
made her feature film debut at age 21, captivating moviegoers as bombshell
Tina Carlisle in “The Mask.” She has since starred in more films
including “There’s Something About Mary,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Shrek,” “Vanilla
Sky” and “My Best Friend’s Wedding” that have grossed more than $100
million internationally. She also went on to star in such independent
films as “ The Last Supper,” “Feeling Minnesota,” opposite Keanu Reeves and
Edward Burns’ “She’s the One.”
“The
Counselor” opens November 13 in theaters from 20th Century Fox to be
distributed by Warner Bros.
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