Review: The Lincoln Lawyer

The Lincoln Lawyer

starring Matthew McConaughey, directed by Brad Furman.

The lady-friend and I went and saw this one on a whim last Friday, and all I can say is... “Wow.”

McConaughey stars in this flick as a smooth-talking, slick-operating, criminal lawyer. He doesn't own an office, and instead operates out of the back-seat of his 1985(ish) Lincoln Town Car. Right from the get-go, it's obvious McConaughey is a big-time operator in this town.

A client with deep-pockets specifically requests McConaughey after being accused of viciously assaulting a prostitute. The lure of major cash is irresistable, and he bites. Quickly though, it becomes apparent there's far more than a simple "wrong place, wrong time" accusation here. McConaughey, his friends, and his enemies, are soon wrapped up in a do or die verdict.

I don't really care for court-room dramas and lawyer movies, but The Lincoln Lawyer is world apart from your average justice-system movie.

It's refreshing to to see McConaughey in something besides a Rom-com, and it reminds me that this guy is a legitimate actor. He's a lawyer who treads the fine line between right and wrong, he's as much a scion of justice, as he is complete con-artist. Did that make sense? Also, to my surprise, he didn't take his shirt off one single time in this movie. Sorry ladies.

The plot, while nothing we haven't seen before, still manages to keep you glued to the screen. Throughout the movie, the actors all deliver a great performance. Even John Leguizamo, who played his usual "Can We Trust Him" rat character. You really get sucked into hating the villains as much as you root for the heroes. There were a couple twists, an average viewer can see them coming, but watching the movie unfold in front truly satisfying. The Lincoln Lawyer makes you cheer for the protagonist, and boo the bad-guys.

Overall:

8/10

The Pros: Smart, witty dialogue. The movie managed to keep a humorous edge on its darker material. You'll be completely unable to get invested in every one of the characters, a rare feat in cinema. The movie paces along at a good speed, and most of the time you don't feel like it's wasting a single frame of film.

The Cons: There was one part involving one of McConaughey's former clients that I felt was a little unbelievable. It was just too convenient, but it's a movie, so I'll forgive and forget. The ending felt a bit dragged out. It was good, but a couple times I thought they could have ended it sooner. Plus, the crime-scene flashbacks felt like they were straight from CSI. A movie with a $40 million dollar budget could do better.

Should you see it?

Yes.

I'll be honest, you don't see a lot of movies that are this smart, but manage to keep it %100 enjoyable. Sometimes movies about law seem to high-brow for me, it's easy to lose track of what's going on, or who is involved in what, or how something someone did ruined what was going on.
The Lincoln Lawyer though? It made law look cool, and suave. Definitely check this one, especially if you have nothing do and are looking at the movie listings saying “What is all this crap?”
You won't be disappointed.