'Napoleon' director Ridley Scott on the failure of his film 'The Counselor': 'It's one of my favourite films but...'

Back in 2013, Napoleon director Ridley Scott assembled a fine ensemble of Penélope Cruz, Brad Pitt, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem, and Michael Fassbender and made one of his most debatable and polarised pieces of work called The Counselor. It was about a lawyer and his tryst with drugs. The filmmaker veered into a dark alley and walked on an unusual turf. Even a decade later, the film, a critical and commercial disappointment at that time, has its own share of discourses around. While speaking to The Rolling Stone, when asked about the film, the filmmaker said, “The Counselor is one of my favorites of my movies, but it’s a very dark subtext, and you can feel it coming from minute one. It’s so dark because it’s based on a certain amount of truth.” He added, “I was so disappointed, and I don’t know who to blame because I think the film is really good. It’s so fun and cynical. People take it so seriously! People are getting it now. It’s always annoying because my films tend to get got later. The famous one is Blade Runner, which was dead for twenty years and then got discovered again by accident at the Santa Monica Film Festival.“ Firspost’s review of Napoleon The action set pieces, which flaunt the strategies of Napoleon as an emperor show the excellence of filmmaker Ridley Scott, who at 85 continues to bring out his best not only with the fine detailing of the narrative showing the rise and downfall of the emperor but also bringing in the complexities of the characters with panache and finesse. Talking about the performances, Phoenix owns the character of Napoleon and once again delivers an impeccable act. Right from his wit to emotional moments, the actor shines in each and every frame. On the other hand, Vanessa Kirby steals the show as Josephine. Her nuanced portrayal will go as one of the best performances in her career.