What do you get when you combine a successful book franchise with: a star everyone thinks they know, a stellar supporting cast, a television writer adapting, and a young director making his second feature? Apparently, one of the tightest, sleekest, and most satisfying thrillers in years. A minor box office success, The Lincoln Lawyer deserves to be seen, heralded, and franchised. And that’s not true of most films that reach such an enviable level.
Mick Haller (Matthew McConaughey, shining in a role that seems built for him) is one damn good lawyer, operating out of his mobile office, a Lincoln town car. With his street-smart driver (Laurence Mason), hacker buddy (John Leguizamo), and private eye extraordinaire (William H. Macy, miraculous from the first shot), Haller may seem and operate like a one-man mafia, but he’s got friends. From bailiffs he pays off at Christmas to Aryan bikers he keeps on a close leash, Haller is one connected badass who seems to walk a line of amorality.
When Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe) hires him after being accused of viciously assaulting a hooker, his heartfelt pleas of innocence inspire Haller to fight tooth-and-nail for his client. This movie doesn’t pull any punches, however, and it’s not long before Haller ends up in deeper than it seems he can pull out of, entering a legal limbo that’ll let him keep his career if he can sacrifice the good guys. What unfolds is a courtroom drama that barrels out onto the streets and brings the seedy underworld of LA knocking on the door of “dignified” society. With Haller as puppeteer, you can only hope he has control and that the puppets aren’t running the show.
Most films struggle to get one thing right: one theme, one arc, one main character. The Lincoln Lawyer manages to get everything right, and there’s a lot going on. Marisa Tomei is ravishing as Haller’s ex, who shares a beautiful girl with him. As a prosecutor, they face-off in the courtroom and still go out to drinks at night. The old flame is still burning, but life has put some distance between them. Frances Fisher plays Roulet’s mother, and gets an incredible plot point to herself, that she performs with her customary radiance. Bryan Cranston makes an appearance as a slippery cop, exercising his chops, while Michael Pena promises to be a heartbreaker with a performance that spans adolescent mistakes and jaded adulthood. To round things out, Josh Lucas plays the DA, fumbling through a case he can’t win, hanging onto the moments he thinks he has a chance, only to see them dashed. It takes guts to play the loser, and he shines.
Director Brad Furman lets the film breathe and will hopefully be back on the screen soon. His style is refreshing, getting back to the good ol' days when camerawork didn't make audiences nauseous and directors actually understood their stories and characters enough to truth them. McConaughey, however, commands the film. Undoubtedly, the stellar cast allows it to reach its full potential, but it is the new King of Cool discovered in Dazed and Confused, who saw his first courtroom in A Time to Kill, and then meandered across rom-coms, small town dramas, and big-screen comedies, who brings the principle character and the story to life. His street edge, commanding coolness, and surreal heroism create a protagonist too nuanced for the average Hollywood film, too interesting for words, and too engaging to watch just once.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
The film comes as a bundle: Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital Copy. How this is profitable is beyond me, since you basically have three copies of the film to spread around for the price of one. The features include some deleted scenes and three featurettes. Two involve the novelist Michael Connelly, who advocated strongly to cast McConaughey based on his work in Tropic Thunder. It is obvious they both enjoy and respect the character, eagerly diving into what makes him and his stories so unique. There is also a nice making-of featurette, further solidifying how instrumental the layout and feel of LA is to the tone of the film. It is a moving movie for a city constantly in their cars.
"The Lincoln Lawyer" is on sale July 12, 2011 and is rated R. Crime, Thriller. Directed by Brad Furman. Written by John Romano & Michael Connelly. Starring Bryan Cranston, Frances Fisher, John Leguizamo, Josh Lucas, Marisa Tomei, Matthew McConaughey, Michael Pena, Ryan Phillipe, William H Macy.
