The Counselor  (IMDB)

Cormac McCarthy as screenwriter. Ridley Scott as director. Michael Fassbinder, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz and Brad Pitt as actors. What could go wrong?

Well, for most reviewers, a lot. This is McCarthy's first screenplay, and he doesn't always follow the rules. There's not much plot, a lot of dialogue and a fair amount of Matrix-esque philosophizing. So I get it, it's a bit of work to keep up.

Which I don't mind, not one bit. Every actor brings his or her A-game, for the material and for each other. And the material is dense, fatalistic and unremitting. When the scheme goes bad, everybody involved is screwed, no matter that they've been betrayed by a third party. How they deal with their pending fate makes up the second part of the movie, and why you stay involved.

So, roll with it. And be rewarded.