The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)/Movie Review

Release Date: 18 March 2011 (USA)   Runtime: 118 min

Genres:  Crime | Drama | Thriller

A sleazy defense attorney has a crisis of conscience when he represents a wealthy client who has a foolproof plan to beat the system.

Director: Brad Furman

Writers: John Romano (screenplay), Michael Connelly (novel)

Casts:

Matthew McConaughey , Marisa Tomei , Ryan Phillippe , William H. Macy , Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo , Michael Peña , Bob Gunton , Frances Fisher , Bryan Cranston , Trace Adkins, Laurence Mason , Margarita Levieva , Pell James , Shea Whigham 

Storyline

Mick Haller is a defense lawyer who works out of his Lincoln. When a wealthy Realtor is accused of raping a prostitute, Haller is asked to defend him. The man claims that the woman is trying to get some money out of him. But when Haller looks at the evidence against him, he learns that this case might be linked to an old case of his.

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Also Known As: Culpable o inocente

Filming Locations:  Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Budget:  $40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:  $13,206,453 (USA) (20 March 2011) (2707 Screens)

Gross:  $57,981,889 (USA) (17 July 2011)
Production Co: Lionsgate, Lakeshore Entertainment, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment

Review

Matthew McConaughey has arrived. He carries this movie. His presence makes this movie happen. He is the spark that lights this movie's fire. He takes a good story and makes it excellent. He projects the intensity and savvy that makes his character interesting and unique. And this is not hyperbole. Mr. McConaughey's performance is energetic, engaging and entertaining. He manages to project street-smarts and style; he is smart but not slick; he's realistic but not cynical; he is sensitive but not mushy. Another surprise is Ryan Phillippe's excellent performance which also adds considerably to the movie's entertainment value as his character spars with Mr. McConaughey's. Although the story itself is a variation of the detective-who-done-it genre, the effective manner in which the story unfolds coupled with the excellent acting makes this story well-worth watching.

Moderately successful criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller (Matthew McConaughey) operates around Los Angeles County out of a Lincoln Town Car driven by a former client working off his legal fees (hence the title). Haller has spent most of his career defending garden-variety criminals, until he lands the case of his career: Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), a Beverly Hills playboy and son of real estate mogul Mary Windsor (Frances Fisher), who is accused of the brutal beating of a prostitute. But the seemingly straightforward case suddenly develops into a deadly game of survival for Haller.

Roulet is seemingly innocent and was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Haller and his investigator Frank Levin (William H. Macy) analyze the pictures and evidence, notably the injuries the victim sustained. It bears a similarity to a past case of Haller's that landed a previous client, Jesus Martinez (Michael Peña), in jail for murdering a woman, despite always proclaiming his innocence.

Haller spends time with his ex-wife, prosecutor Maggie McPherson (Marisa Tomei), who has never appreciated Haller's efforts on behalf of guilty criminals when he ought to be trying to put them behind bars. All his clients claim to be innocent, but Haller begins to wonder if he should have tried harder on behalf of Martinez instead of convincing him to plead guilty in exchange for avoiding the death penalty.

In prison, Martinez becomes agitated when Haller shows him Roulet's picture. Haller begins to suspect that Roulet could be the real killer in the Martinez case, but bound by attorney-client confidentiality rules, he cannot tell the police what he has learned.

Levin is mysteriously killed after leaving a voicemail message claiming that he has found Martinez's ticket out of jail. Haller is suspected of killing Levin because a collector's gun missing from his house was used to kill Levin, a gun that Haller believes was taken by Roulet after the latter broke into Haller's home.