CAPSULE: Brad Furman directs John Romano's screenplay based on the Michael Connelly novel. A sleazy lawyer has to tread a tricky path to fulfill the law, his responsibility to his client, and his idea of justice in a cleverly plotted legal thriller. Mickey Haller (Matthew McConaughey), is the kind of a lawyer who gives the profession a bad name. He is good at the law and uses it to squeeze the maximum fees from his wealthy clients. When he gets the case of defending a magnate's son charged with rape and assault he finds himself in a tight legal bind that could force him to protect a killer or even get himself killed. This is a tightly-written thriller that at the same time creates a tricky legal puzzle. Rating: high +2 (-4 to +4) or 8/10
Mickey Haller (played by Matthew McConaughey) is a totally unscrupulous lawyer who flaunts his wealth by tooling around Los Angeles in the back seat of a chauffeur-driven Lincoln Continental that he uses as a mobile office. His clients tend to be people who can afford to pay well but are not exactly the country club set. Haller is hired to defend someone not from the underbelly, Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), whose mother is a wealthy real estate tycoon. Roulet is accused of beating and raping a prostitute. Louis insists he is innocent and Haller is afraid he might be. Haller's one decent chord is that he does not want an innocent client to be convicted. He would rather have to defend a guilty client than to risk an innocent client go to prison.
Haller has private investigator Frank Levin (William H. Macy) investigating to get useful information for the defense, and the information collected reminds Haller of a previous case in which his client was found guilty. Perhaps he can prove both clients innocent at the same time.
If Haller is the hero of this piece he is a very flawed one. He treats his own clients with the same ruthlessness that he treats his courtroom opponents, even if with clients he covers over it with honey. Even when he is doing what appears like a favor for someone he is calculating it to line his own pockets. He gives nice Christmas gifts, but they are investments, and he knows he will get back something even bigger in return. McConaughey plays Haller oily and slick. As a perfect contrast William H. Macy plays his private investigator friend. He goes around with unkempt shoulder-length hair and lives in a cheap, unkempt apartment. He does not look like he is getting a very big piece of Haller's action. Also along for the ride is Maggie McPherson (Marisa Tomai), a former Mrs. Haller, the mother of Haller's daughter, a frequent courtroom opponent, but still a life-time friend. This characterizes Haller, but it has a sort of unique role in the plot. It is not that it is important, but that it is less important than other aspects. As I said this is a tightly written script and just about everything that happens will fit into the plot and actually be important later. The viewer needs to be on guard to pick up everything that happens. This is not as true of sequences with Maggie. They are a moment's relaxation for writer John Romano and probably for Michael Connelly, who wrote the novel.
THE LINCOLN LAWYER is a script that operates like clockwork, complex and everything contributing to the story. After a period of Matthew McConaughey coasting in his career, this is a role with some meat in it. And the film is a good piece of entertainment. I rate it a high +2 on the -4 to +4 scale or 8/10.
Film Credits: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1189340/
What others are saying: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lincoln_lawyer/
Mark R. Leeper mleeper@optonline.net Copyright 2011 Mark R. Leeper