REVIEW: The Lincoln Lawyer

LAW AND BEHOLD

More often than not, what the ticket-buying public expects from a movie, is that it entertains them. Some would expect that it does so without causing offence, to taste, intelligence or morality.

Brad Furman’s The Lincoln Lawyer,  by no means a masterpiece, does all of the above, and turns out to be a crackling entertainer, with one of the best-looking leading men in the business, who makes the bitter medicine about crime and punishment go down well.

Based on a Michael Connelly book, the film is about a smart but not too successful lawyer Mick Haller, who runs his business from the backseat of a Lincoln (hence the title) driven by a cheerful and discreet black dude, who calls him “boss” and does his bidding without question.  Haller represents all kinds of lowlife clients like hookers, junkies and bikers. His ex-wife Maggie (Marisa Tomei), a prosecutor and he had split over principles—she believes in putting away criminals he keeps defending—but they get along fine.

When Haller gets the case of rich mamma’s boy Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), he takes it as a ticket to big time. Louis is accused of having savagely beaten and attempted to kill a hooker, but he looks all wide-eyed and insists he is innocent.  Very soon it becomes clear to Haller that he wasn’t chosen for his expertise, but for a reason that involves client-attorney confidentiality.  He could actually dump the case, why he doesn’t is a loophole in the film; but the way things move along at a brisk trot, you don’t really mind that.

Haller finds himself in what is often described as ‘between a rock and a hard place.’ His client is a creep, but he has to get him out or lose face. Even when his buddy and investigator  Frank Levin (William H. Macy) is killed, he has to swallow his rage and carry on.

A straightforward mystery is balanced with larger questions of professional ethics and personal values, studded with a peppy soundtrack, cool lines and competent performances.  Haller played by McConaughey with a cheeky smile and cockiness, is just the kind of character you want to see in action again; this one just begs for a franchise. Fortunately there are two more Haller novels to go, so he can live on.