Movies Reviews

The Lincoln Lawyer – Movie Review

By Anne Brodie Mar 17, 2011, 16:14 GMT

Based on the best selling novel by Michael Connelly. Screenplay by John Romano and directed by Brad Furman.In the gripping thriller "The Lincoln Lawyer," Matthew McConaughey stars as Michael "Mick" Haller, a slick, charismatic Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who operates out of the back of his Lincoln Continental sedan. Having spent most of his career defending petty, gutter-variety criminals, Mick unexpectedly lands the case of a lifetime: defending a ...more

Matthew McConaughey does the best work in years in Lincoln Lawyer - a taut legal thriller about a defense lawyer charged with representing a man he knows is guilty.  McConaughey lets his usual cloying doses of charm and bare-chested-ness take a back seat to play someone who is all about mental agility and instinct.

He’s terrific, reminiscent of the part he plays in A Time to Kill (1996). With few exceptions, his roles since then have been romantic comedies, lightweights that bank on his looks.

McConaughey plays Mickey Haller, a lawyer of some notoriety who works from his car, hence the handle the Lincoln lawyer. He works in parks and streets, supported by an impressive staff that works in the rough as well.   Always on the go.

 Mickey’s considered a rogue for putting dirt bags on the street through his ingenious defenses that seem unencumbered by conscience to the naked eye.  But he’s reliable - his simple but solid arguments have kept many parties out of the slammer, for good or evil.  He speaks in a flurry of one-liners but doesn’t hang around for the applause.  And his network of associates is as colorful as he is. His Mickey’s a unique character.

The dirt bag in question here is Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe) a wealthy young real estate operator, born into Beverly Hills money and rolling in entitlement.  But just because someone’s had privileges, doesn’t make him a criminal, although that’s the initial thrust of the story. 

He is charged with beating a woman in a hooker meet gone wrong.   He insists he is innocent, that he was set up by the woman who was a prostitute on the make, and we tend to believe him.  A couple of moments make us wonder about his state of mind, but he is in prison.  Roulet’s mother (Frances Fisher) is willing to pay whatever it takes to protect him.  Fisher is ferocious.

Mickey’s investigator (Bill H. Macy) digs deep into Louis’ records and others connected with the case and early similar cases and seem sot be on to something when he’s found murdered.  Suspicious events come fast and hard on and soon Mickey fears for his life. But he has some aces up his sleeve and interesting contacts on both sides of the law.

The film challenges and rewards with authenticity and uninterrupted action, most of it the intellectual kind.   It’s a breath of fresh air. It asks us to think and keep up with Mickey’s mercury quick thought processes. 

It is an old fashioned, Law & Order kind of legal; story telling that shows the strengths of the format.  But he takes it well outside its limitations because he is both a hero and a rogue. 

Lincoln Lawyer is a solid entertainment that lingers in the mind, raising questions long after the credits roll. It would be nice to see this character franchised.

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35mm crime drama
Written by John Romano, based on Michael Connelly’s novel
Directed by Brad Furman
Opens: March 18
Runtime: 118 minutes
Country: USA
Language: English