The Counselor had a lot going for it, including director Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Prometheus) and screenwriter Cormac McCarthy, whose novels The Road and No Country for Old Men have done tremendously well in recent years. Unfortunately, the crowds didn’t come for The Counselor, and the critics were not very kind.
Still, the movie is a showcase of some of the best Latino talent working today, including Javier Bardem, Rosie Perez, Cameron Diaz…and Penélope Cruz.
Regardless of how successful the final product might have been, Cruz provides a solid portrayal of a character that called out to her from the very beginning. What’s more, this was her first chance to work with director Ridley Scott, though she’s been a friend of his for years. In this conversation, she talks about the movie, her director, and the joy and challenge of working with some of the best actors in the world.