The Lincoln Lawyer is a
well written and twisted drama that is like watching two grandmasters of
chess attempt to thwart each other and the gain the more powerful deadly
piece. The main protagonist of the movie is Mick Haller (McConaughey), a
rather arrogant and smart assed lawyer who would also be the perfect
snake oil merchant and happens to work from the back of his old Lincoln
car. However his luck or so he believes is about to change when he
receives a new case thanks to a bondsman (John Leguizamo) who informs
him that there is a possibility to make a considerable amount of money
if he agrees to defend Beverly Hills playboy Louis Roulet (Ryan
Phillippe) who has been charged of attempted murder.
McConaughey plays the flawed lawyer well and as most of his clientele
have been guilty of their crimes, he has some difficulty in defending an
innocent man who has been charged for viciously beating and
almost murdering a prostitute. Haller wonders if he made the right
choice and to compound the situation, Louis Roulet isn't the nicest man
in the world as the plot unravels. With doubts in his mind, Mickey
decides to arrange investigator Frank Levin (William H. Macy) explore
both Louis and the prostitute to see if there are any hard facts one way
or another.
This is worsened by Louis mother (Frances Fisher) who strongly believes
her son is innocent as she attempts to influence Mickey which sparks the
thought that he may be being played by this rich family. When Mickey
does start to wander from the "facts", his estranged wife and Assistant
District Attorney (Marisa Tomei) and their young daughter are soon
threatened because of his involvement in this case and the puzzle
finally comes together in most unexpected yet clichéd ways. Director
Brad Furman does a great job at keeping the tension throughout the movie
and is assisted by the powerful performances of all involved, especially
McConaughey. All in all, the Lincoln Lawyer is a decent move that
although it doesn't veer too far from uncharted territories of this
genre, it is still an impressive story from start to finish.
Video, Audio &
Special Features
The Blu-ray quality of the Lincoln Lawyer is quite gritty that helps in
the story telling. The video quality is a 1080p transfer with some
exceptional attention to detail, especially with the close-ups of the
actors involved. Colours are a little earthy but it does highlight the
pollution of Los Angeles and assists with the gritty nature of the
story.
The audio supports a
lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 that contain crisp dialogue and good
levels of sound. Some moments definitely use the speakers to its
advantage, even though this is not an action film. There are a handful
of special features that include Making the Case: creating the Lincoln
Lawyer that involves adapting the original book to film, Michael
Connelly: At home on the Road, the author of the book takes the viewer
on a tour to various key locales from the movie, deleted scenes and One
on One with McConaughey and Connelly that has the author interviewing
McConaughey about making his character come to life. The special
features are entertaining, however not that compelling.
Conclusion
The Lincoln Lawyer is
easily the best movie that McConaughey has made thanks to the powerful
and well written story. It may not challenge the genre but it's sure a
very enjoyable and thrilling experience from start to finish.
