After some insignificant films, Matthew McConaughey comes into his own with “The Lincoln Lawyer,” a top-notch, legal drama. Courtroom tactics are as enthralling as events taking place elsewhere, especially when the charismatic actor commands the screen in his portrayal of an attorney working out of the back of his Lincoln Continental car. Mickey Haller’s (Matthew McConaughey) clientele are mostly criminals like convicted prisoner Jesus Martinez (Michael Pena) and the biker gang that supports him. But, he has moved up in society when asked to defend wealthy man-about-town Louis Roulet (an impressive Ryan Philippe), accused of brutalizing a prostitute Reggie Campo (Margarita Levieva). She says he’s her attacker while Roulet claims innocence. The prosecutor is Ted Minton (McConaughey’s lookalike Josh Lucas) and the clashes between Haller and Minton are highlights. Both counselors match each other’s manipulative moves every inch of the way.
Director Brad Furman adapts the attention-holding film from crime novelist Michael Connelly’s best seller on the Michael Haller character personified by McConaughey. The always effective Marisa Tomei plays his ex, prosecutor Maggie McPherson, still connected because they have a daughter. In lesser supporting roles: William H. Macy is Mickey’s investigative legman; Frances Fisher is Roulet’s mother, and John Leguizamo, a bail bondsman, in the sharp-witted narrative of legal eagles.
Image Source: Daemons Movies
