Movie Review: The Lincoln Lawyer

We had a rare grown-up movie night this weekend, and the group wanted to see The Lincoln Lawyer.  Mickey Haller, played ably by Matthew McConaughey, is a criminal defense attorney who gets his clients mostly from the realm of drug dealers, bikers and the like.  Until, that is, his name is dropped by a rich young man, Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillipe) accused of beating a woman he met at a bar.  At first, he seems like the perfect client:  filthy rich and innocent…but as you might guess, it’s not that simple.

Marisa Tomei stars as Haller’s ex-wife, a prosecutor who ends up recusing herself from the case.  They have a daughter together, not to mention some sparks still fly.  Josh Lucas is the next prosecutor, who tries hard and has a few tricks, but gets thoroughly outmaneuvered by Haller in the courtroom.  John Leguizamo, Bryan Cranston and William H. Macy have roles as well, and do their part well.

The use of a old Lincoln as Haller’s office is a good metaphor for the movie, as the pacing was smooth, not too fast, not too slow.  The twists weren’t super-twisty, but the performances combined with the plot definitely held my interest (and everyone else that went had a similar thought).  If you like courtroom dramas, you could do a lot worse than seeing The Lincoln Lawyer.

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