ramascreen.com

At first glance, Matthew McConaughey’s new mystery/suspense/legal thriller The Lincoln Lawyer might strike you as an unusual project for the actor. A stray from his typecasting as a shirtless hunk in every woman’s favourite romantic comedy, McConaughey plays Mickey Haller, a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney. When he is hired to work on the case of Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), who is accused of rape and attempted murder, the plot gets complicated and the dangers of Haller’s profession come about—people in jail threaten him and his client breaks into his house. The plot of the movie catches your attention, but the story ultimately lacks substance. For a thriller, the film doesn’t exactly leave you on the edge of your seat, save for a brief moment in the final scene when Haller’s life is in danger.

The film’s greatest strengths  are its actors, with a cast including McConaughey, Phillippe, Marisa Tomei, and William H. Macy. The introduction of McConaughey’s character in the first few scenes is slightly odd, and it’s hard to take him seriously in a dramatic role; he’s not hitting on girls or using his signature hunky charm. After some time, though, it becomes clear that McConaughey can actually pull off a dramatic role. His scenes in the courtroom are particularly strong, and he and Phillippe play off each other well. For his part, Phillippe does his usual thing: playing the Beverly Hills playboy and criminal, reminiscent of Sebastian Valmont, the wealthy New Yorker he played in Cruel Intentions. Tomei is particularly memorable in the film as Margaret McPherson, Haller’s ex-wife with whom he has a child. McPherson is also a lawyer, and often argues with Haller over the moral dilemma that emerges when he defends the worst kinds of criminals. The movie might have been a little better had director Brad Furman explored the history of the relationship, and possibly shown more of these two together on screen. The same goes for Macy’s character Frank Levin, who is Haller’s detective and best friend.

Overall, The Lincoln Lawyer has all the ingredients to make a solid hit, but they don’t quite come together in the right way. The movie is enjoyable nonetheless and does a decent job of adapting the eponymous 2005 novel by acclaimed American crime writer Michael Connelly. For regular moviegoers, this one could be saved for a DVD rental, but lovers of the genre should catch it in theatres, because it does have some fun and surprising twists.