The Counselor
Stars: Brad Pitt, Goran Visjjic, Michael Fassbender, Javier Bardem, Cameron Diaz, Penelope Cruz
A dream team of A-list actors (Oscar winners Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz, and Academy Award nominee Brad Pitt) star in this slick, fast-paced thriller about a lawyer who gets entangled in the drug game. He soon finds out that not all money is good money and some debts can only be repaid in blood. One guy’s squeeze sees the handwriting on the wall and tells him, “You’re in trouble. When the ax comes through the door, I’ll already be gone.” You gotta love a character with a healthy sense of self-preservation. Pitt is already stirring up Oscar buzz as a contender against Tom Hanks (Captain Phillips). Don’t miss this nail-biter; it packs a powerful punch. –p.d. lee