The Lincoln Lawyer

The Lincoln Lawyer

Drama (Thriller, Courtroom)

2011

Rated: R

Running Time: 118 minutes

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, William H. Macy, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, Michael Pena, Bryan Cranston.

Directed By: Brad Furman

Rating: 7 out of 10

Outline

A sleazy lawyer is faced with a moral dilemma after taking on a new case.

Review

Hustle, hustlin' hustlin'
Hustle, hustlin' hustlin'
Hustle, hustlin' hustlin'
Hustle, hustlin' hustlin'
Hustle, hustlin' hustlin'
Hustle, hustlin' hustlin'
Hustle, hustlin' hustlin'

Everyday, McConaughey is hustlin'
Everyday, he’s hustlin'
Everyday, he’s hustlin'
Everyday, he’s hustlin'
Everyday, he’s hustlin'

The Lincoln Lawyer is the story about Mick Haller. He is a sleazy lawyer, who will represent anyone in court as long as they can pay his fees. He takes on a new rich client, who is accused of rape. He has bouts of conscience, as the case reveals to be more than he could have ever imagined.

I was hoping that Mick Haller was named the Lincoln Lawyer, because he rocked a kickass beard. Alas, this is not the case. He has gotten this moniker due to the fact he conducts all of his business out of a Lincoln Town Car. This film is a well crafted court room drama and even better crafted story. The film opens up to Mick Haller, wheeling and dealing about town. He visits clients in jail; he meets with hardcore bikers in the streets, and hustles people in the courtroom. Mick Haller is always talking and always seems a step ahead of everyone else. Establishing Haller’s swagger/bravado is key to making this film work. It shows there is no limit to what he will do to make a dollar. It also shows that he is always thinking and always able to think outside the box. As he deals with a myriad of cases, which range from drug possession to prostitution. He is then presented with a case he cannot refuse. A wealthy real estate agent is accused of rape and is claiming innocence. The case offers up a chance for Haller to make a lot of cash for a moderate amount of work.  Little does Haller know, is that he is about to take on a case that could cost him his very life. As he digs deeper into his clients alibi and past, he realizes that this is not a cut and dry case. Tales of murder and deceit, creep to the forefront as Haller has some hard decisions to make. Should he do the morally right thing? Or should he do what he always does and look out for himself? That is why the film is so good. He constantly is working every angle and you never know what route he is going to take.

This movie hinges on the lead character, Mick Haller, and Matthew McConaughey doesn’t disappoint in the role. He is one part sleaze ball, one part charmer, and two parts fast talker. McConaughey brings his best to this film and literally weaves this movie into a great watch. You can call him the puppet master as he is always pulling strings. McConaughey convinces the viewer that he is always in control. Even when things are at their craziest, you can easily buy into his performance. His supporting crew is perfectly chosen to aid McConaughey. His attractive ex wife is played by the lovely Marisa Tomei. She gives the Haller character scope and humanizes him a bit. William H. Macy plays a private investigator that works for Haller and adds his veteran actor savvy to the film. Long haired and confident, Macy and McConaughey work well together in building a team that can root out false hoods. Ryan Phillippe is the accused rapist and he is also quite good in an understated way. On a final note, I always thought Josh Lucas and Matthew McConaughey were the same person, and yet they share scenes in this film together.Who knew?

So as Haller digs deeper and deeper into the case, he doesn’t know who he can trust. The story has more twists and turns in it then…well….a game of Twister. The court room scenes are well put together and exciting. The details of the case are dark and super violent. The workings of Haller’s mind are manipulative and far reaching. The film just spends the perfect amount of time on each aspect of the story to keep it fresh. By the end, you will have no idea what Haller is up to, but you will like him so much at this point that you hope he can pull it off. In conclusion, this film is a slick little crime/thriller. It is fun to watch McConaughey work his magic, both in and outside of the courtroom. A man you would probably hate in real life, has huge likeability on the big screen. This film has a lot going on but never loses its path.

Director Brad Furman was unknown to me before I watched this, but he is one to watch for in the future. Although the script (John Romano, Michael Connelly) was pretty solid, Furman always keeps it moving in the right direction. There are interesting characters with solid development. There are interweaving stories with far reaching implications, and the film always leaves you guessing as to what’s next. Be it court room or investigating the case, Furman allows the actors to do their thing with long unedited scenes of dialogue. He does a solid job on only his second full feature film.

I give this movie a recommendation and while McConaughey is getting older, Marisa Tomei seems to be staying the same age.

T Factor + If you like court room movies then this could score higher on the rating scale.

T Factor – If you do not like Matthew McConaughey as an actor, then this could score lower on the rating scale.

IF you liked this film reel recommendations: Fracture, Primal Fear.