The Lincoln Lawyer (2011) - The List Hero Review

Cocky, arrogant, but ultimately excellent at his job.  Brad Furman's film adaptation of The Lincoln Lawyer takes us into the ultra-confident world of criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller (played here by Matthew McConaughey).  The film has sharp directing and a smooth soundtrack, leaving the overall effect of a movie almost as slick as the lawyer himself.  The story, originally written by author Michael Connelly, sees Haller take on a case involving spoilt rich boy Louis Roulet (played by spoilt rich boy Ryan Phillipe).  Haller believes that Roulet is innocent but there are a few twists along the way that prove the case to be his biggest test yet.

Whilst there are no "major stars" here, the casting is pretty spot on with talented actors giving great performances;  McConaughey gives his best performance for years, and is supported by Phillipe, William H Macy and Marisa Tomei.  Some viewers may be put off by cocky characteristics given off by McConaughey's protagonist but for me this only made the challenges he faces more interesting; we suddenly see the clouds of doubt gathering above Haller's head, and again this is a credit to McConaughey for showing the audience this without ever being over-the-top or obviously doing so.


There's nothing ground-breaking about this film, and I have only seen a limited amount of the films released in 2011, but it is a thoroughly enjoyable ride and is the best I've seen this year (although this is bound to change once the "award season" begins).


Rating: 4 out of 5