The Lincoln Lawyer, based on the book by Michael Connelly and starring Matthew McConaughey, is an old-fashioned legal thriller. The story follows criminal defense attorney Mickey “Mick” Haller (McConaughey), a criminal defense attorney who does much of his work out of the back seat of a Lincoln Town Car, as he takes on a big case representing a rich client accused of assaulting a woman. The movie also features Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy, and John Leguizamo.
Movies often depend on your expectations and mood. And if I were grumpier on the day I watched The Lincoln Lawyer or if I had high expectations, I might stress that there are some unbelievable points, and there might be easier ways for the lawyer to handle the legal ethics issues in the movie. Also, the movie features one of my pet peeves of portraying the bad guy as some sort of evil diabolical genius who would fit better in a James Bond movie than in a movie trying to be realistic.
But those are minor gripes if you just want some fun entertainment. The Lincoln Lawyer is one of those movies where you just have to decide to roll with it. The story is fun, and, as he did in Time to Kill, McConaughey makes an engaging lawyer with a very good supporting cast. While The Lincoln Lawyer is not in the same league as law movies like Anatomy of a Murder (1959), The Verdict (1982), or even Tomei’s My Cousin Vinny (1992), it is a fun and interesting ride, like one of the better movies based on books by John Grisham or Scott Turow. In a recent interview, McConaughey mentioned the possibility of sequels following the further exploits of Haller. I would see the sequel, assuming I’m in the right mood that day.
What did you think of The Lincoln Lawyer? What is your favorite lawyer movie? Leave a comment.
(Some Related Chimesfreedom Posts)
