Delivering the right sentence

Lincoln Lawyer (2011)
Certified: 16
Duration: 120 minutes
Directed by: Brad Furman
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillipe, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, Michael Pena, Bob Guntoin, William H. Macy
KRS release

Matthew McConaughey is finally given a film where he is given the chance to shine and show off his leading man qualities. These had up till now always been touted so prominently but rarely seen.

He really fits the bill as Mick Haller, a charismatic character that is almost too perfect to be true. Throughout his performance he reminded me of another performance of his from the time when he was a bit younger, another courtroom drama, A Time To Kill (1996). In this film he once again brings that intensity with a suave touch.

Matthew McConaughey plays Mick Haller, a criminal defence lawyer who has made a cool job out of defending petty criminals. He has a young daughter and is divorced from Maggie McPherson (Marisa Tomei) who works as a prosecutor. His studio is his Lincoln Continental, driven by his chauffeur Earl (Laurence Mason). Bondsman Val Valenzuela (John Leguizamo) keeps him supplied with shady customers.

His hottest assignment yet is the case of Beverly Hills playboy Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), who is being accused of rape and attempted murder of a prostitute named Reggi Camp (Maragarita Levieva). He claims he is innocent and he is supported by his mother, the very wealthy Mary Windsor (Frances Fisher) and the family lawyer Cecil Dobbs (Bob Gunton). On the other side of the fence the prosecution is led by Ted Minton (Josh Lucas) who is having none of this.

Mick gets his investigator friend Frank Lein (William H. Macy) to look into the case and similarities start to crop up with the case of Jesus Martinez (Michael Pena) a former client of Mick, who had ended up in jail. Mick soon starts to realise that there are high levels of manipulation going on in the case and he is bound by the attorney-client privilege.

Brad Furman has brought an ensemble cast that is overall well integrated into the film’s proceedings and all serve to make Mr McConaughey look even better. This adaptation of the novel by Michael Connelly will do well with all John Grisham devotees. Ryan Phillippe is back to his Cruel Intentions sleazeball days and he really drips of slime in this picture. Special mention must be given to country music star Trace Adkins who stands out as the head of a gang of bikers.

Directed in a polished and slick manner by Mr Furman the film’s look seems to complement the slick character of Mick Haller. Mr Furman makes the best of Mr McConaughey’s features as he zooms in to capture all the unexpected intensity that he delivers. The film inevitably also has a lot to say about how justice is perceived and in the way Mick Haller seems to be more interested in earning top notch dollar instead of seeing justice done. Like many legal thrillers one is always expecting a twist, a cinematic turnaround and this is presented in The Lincoln Lawyer but it is not emphasised or overdone.

The result is a polished and well-honed courtroom drama that will more than make the judge deliver a “not guilty” verdict on Mr McConaughey and Mr Furman.