STUDIO: Lionsgate | DIRECTOR: Brad Furman | CAST: Matthew McConaughey, Maris Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, Frances Fisher, Bob Gunton, Bryan Cranston, William H. Macy, Michael Peña
RELEASE DATE: 7/12/11 | PRICE:Blu-ray/DVD Combo Back $39.99, DVD $26.98
BONUSES: featurettes, interviews, deleted scenes
SPECS: R | 119 min. | Crime thriller | 2.35:1 widescreen | DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1/Dolby Digital 5.1 | English, French and Spanish subtitlesRATINGS (out of 5): Movie
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The Lincoln Lawyer gives audiences an opportunity to take Matthew McConaughey (Dazed and Confused) a little more seriously than they have in recent years, just like they did when he portrayed lawyers in such films as A Time to Kill (1996) and Amistad (1997). Not that McConaughey didn’t look like he was having a good time when he took off his shirt in romantic comedies Fool’s Gold (2008) and the admittedly funny Surfer, Dude (2008), but I’m not sure the public was enjoying his movies as much as he was.
Matthew McConaughey gets legal in The Lincoln Lawyer.
That said, The Lincoln Lawyer is a step in the right direction. It stars McConaughey as a Los Angeles defense attorney who works out of the back seat of his chauffeured Lincoln Town Car, going to bat for bikers, hookers, junkies and other almost-bad guys.
A knowledgeable, street-wise lawyer who lives a comfortable life via taking on seamier, cash-friendly cases that he knows he can handle, McConaughey’s Mick Haller hasn’t lost his drive or spirit for the law as much as he’s figured out a way to take a detour around the heavy stuff. That all changes when he agrees to defend a Beverly Hills rich guy (Ryan Phillippe, The Bang Bang Club) accused of the rape and attempted murder of a prostitute. Cue a well-charted course of plot twists and surprises (some good, some predictable) served up by pros, and you’ve got a solid crime/legal thriller fronted by a guy who has the chops to hold the story together, while still looking as good in a well-tailored suit as he does in a bathing suit.
McConaughey and the movie get a lot of help from their collaborators. Brad Furman’s direction is fast and tasty, as is John Romano’s script, which he adapted from Michael Connelly’s 2005 best-selling novel
Lending ample support is an outstanding roster of co-stars, including William H. Macy (Pleasantville), Josh Lucas (Daydream Nation), Michael Peña (My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done), Bryan Cranston (TV’s Breaking Bad) and Marisa Tomei (Cyrus) as McConaughey’s ex-wife. And Phillippe is genuinely creepy as a playboy who might just be as clever as his lawyer.
Bonus features on the DVD include a pair of featurettes, the first of which delves into the film’s development and production. The second finds author Connelly driving around L.A. talking about his work and giving a special shout-out to filmmaker Robert Altman (3 Women), whose 1973 neo-noir The Long Goodbye was a major inspirational for Connelly’s growth as a writer.
There’s also a collection of deleted scenes and a brief on-set conversation between Connelly and McConaughey.
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Matthew McConaughey first caught my eye in CONTACT. I thought his role as the President’s religious advisor/zealot but also as a man with a man’s interest in women was difficult to play but McConaughey was convincing. I have seen him in other roles which are basic comedic salary pullers – that do nothing for his rep. This is a step back in the right direction for someone who I feel can take on the challenging roles which require finesse rather than flatulence.
A look at his filmography on IMIDB reveals that he does pop up in a bunch of interesting projects, but so few of them get a respectable release or attention, so we’re left with the romantic comedy crap. But, yes, Lincoln Lawyer reveals what he’s capable of. Finesse rather than flatulence…well-said.