‘The Counselor’ Trailer: Michael Fassbender Has Been Bad

Ridley Scott's 'The Counselor' is going with an impressionistic ad campaign so far. Highlighting its all-star cast -- which includes Michael Fassbender, Javier Bardem, Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz, and Brad Pitt -- it suggests a neo-noir as the protagonist (Fassbender) gets involved with criminal activity that could eventually destroy his body or his soul, and possibly both.

And when that story comes from Cormac McCarthy (author of 'Blood Meridian' and 'No Country for Old Men'), and when it's directed by Ridley Scott, and when it has that cast, it has a very real possibility of being a truly great film. This is totally in Scott's wheelhouse as he has experience with the genre: His 'Someone to Watch Over Me' is definitely a throwback to 40's detective movies, while 'Blade Runner' virtually invented the term "Future Noir."

Though not evident from the trailer, Fassbender plays an attorney who teams with Bardem's character to sell a shipment of cocaine valued at around twenty million dollars, and stories of "good" men corrupted by power and money is always fascinating. Though Ridley Scott's track record for the last couple years hasn't been stellar (remember 'Body of Lies' and 'Robin Hood?'), when he has good material, he's one of the best there is. 'The Counselor opens in theaters October 25.