“THE COUNSELOR” LOOK BOOK

In legendary director Ridley Scott’s riveting drama “The Counselor,” Michael Fassbender plays a respected lawyer who makes a shady, illegal business deal. His life unravels as he becomes embroiled in a brutal criminal underworld. One bad choice has grave consequences.

The film, written by Cormac McCarthy, also stars Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem and Brad Pitt releases its latest online photo collection.  Click here to check “The Counselor” Look Book:
https://www.facebook.com/20thcenturyfoxphilippines/app_153992438143470

The leading players inhabit a world where money is no object, the stakes are high and the currency is drugs.  Oscar winning costume designer Janty Yates with Armani and cast discuss “The Counselor’s” distinctive look and style.

It is a slippery slope that sees The Counselor spiral down into a murky and ruthless world populated by vastly wealthy players, who make their money from drugs. Nightclub owner Reiner (Javier Bardem) leads a life of unimaginable luxury with his beautiful but tough, calculating and amoral girlfriend Malkina (Cameron Diaz), while Brad Pitt’s Westray is a charming, clever, philosophizing cowboy, who acts as a middleman in multimillion dollar deals.Ostentatious, luxurious and ultra-glamorous on the surface,the world these people inhabit has an ominous undercurrent of lawlessness and brutality.

From the cinematography to the production design and the costumes, the powerful images reflect the tone and atmosphere of this sharply observed drama. It is the eighth time costume designer Janty Yates has worked with Ridley Scott. Her credits include “Prometheus,” “Robin Hood,” “American Gangster” and “Gladiator,” for which she won an Oscar.

Giorgio Armani created the elegant and sophisticated wardrobes for Michael Fassbender and Penélope Cruz, from his Emporio Armani collection. Films which have incorporated Mr. Armani’s designs include “American Gigolo,” “The Dark Knight,” “The Untouchables,” “Ocean’s Thirteen,” “The Social Network” and “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.”

“The characters drive Ferraris, wear gold Rolex watches, dress in very expensive clothes and surround themselves with beautiful women. There is one world of obnoxious, extravagant wealth and there's also a world of ordinary people, the underclass, immigrants crossing the borders. We see the violent criminal underworld in which the drugs are being bought. It was interesting to film because The Counselor is a contraction of those two worlds,” notes cinematographer Dariusz Wolski.

Cinema devotee Giorgio Armani was delighted to collaborate with the stellar filmmakers Sir Ridley Scott and Janty Yates. “Working with Janty is inspiring. I’m always honored to play a small part in the magic of filmmaking. Michael Fassbender is such a thrilling talent. He’s elegant and edgy - an Armani man, onscreen and off. Penélope Cruz is eternally beautiful and brilliant. Our longstanding friendship has stretched from the cinema to the red carpet to my heart,” enthused Armani.

Yates likewise enthused, “Working with Mr. Armani and his fantastic team is always inspirational. I feel very fortunate to have this extraordinary relationship. I did all the selecting of clothes for Michael and Penélope because I have a working relationship with Armani and they very kindly opened their doors in LA, Madrid, Milan and London.”

“Armani was the perfect fit for my character and great to wear. The Counselor is trying to be sharp and attractive. Janty came in with a collection of Armani suits and then it was a matter of trying different ones out. It was important to show the Counselor’s vanity and how particular he was about the way he presented himself. It was the idea of being respected through the clothes he wears and the impression that he wants to give, that was important to him,” says Fassbender.

“Javier Bardem’s Reiner is part of the cartel. He really is a party boy; he runs seedy clubs and bars and he loves life, but he's still got a very good head on his shoulders. There was no question to me: he was a Versace man from the beginning.  Versace were fantastic and supplied us with vintage pieces from the archives. We were sent many incredible silk shirts from which we could choose. It was so much fun. You see Javier in the party scene in a wonderful shirt which must have had 400 handpainted butterflies on it. The shirts were one-offs from the archives from Gianni's time (the late Gianni Versace). They were Gianni's creations and I was very privileged to have access to them,” shares Yates.

Yates continues, “Cameron Diaz’s clothes are rock chick and leather: the look is biker, punk, animal skin. She wears Paula Thomas’s designs for Thomas Wylde, which are very cutting edge. Ridley wanted to take Cameron out of the mainstream of designer looks and do something different, because Malkina is different. She lives her life on the line and she doesn't care about anybody. She has no scruples or emotions. I was completely crazy about every single outfit she put on. Cameron is the best person in the world to work with, she is a fashionista, she knows everything and I say that in the nicest possible way. When I introduced her to the idea of going to Thomas Wylde and showed her the designs,her jaw dropped. She loved them. Cameron was absolutely thrilled that we didn't go down Rodeo Drive to the usual suspects. She was delighted that we worked with this wonderful, unique designer.”
  
As for Brad Pitt, “Well, you can imagine that was a really tough call, having to dress Brad Pitt! Seriously it was an absolute joy to tailor him in something as radical as the look we had for him. Brad plays a man of mystery really and Ridley said he would like him to be based on ‘The Singing Cowboy’ (country music legend Hank Williams). Westray is a beautifully tailored Texan gentleman wearing the most wonderful suits. Ridley wanted a grey suit for the scene when Westray arrives in London. He wouldn't be so flamboyant for that scene. He is still Southern and a cowboy, but a little more anonymous amongst the grey London buildings.

“The Counselor” opens November 13 in cinemas from 20th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

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