By Scott Martin

The Lincoln Lawyer, USA, 2011

Directed by Brad Furman

Consider it a John Grisham novel on steroids. Matthew McConaughey is adept at playing lawyers with an evident moral compass that they just choose to ignore. I remember the first time I saw A Time to Kill (1996) on television, and I was mostly just interested in seeing Sandra Bullock in something that wasn’t a frothy romantic comedy, but I left the film impressed mostly by McConaughey and his bittersweet performance. Fifteen years later, I’m reminded of why I like him as an actor in the first place. It’s not easy to get behind him when he comes out with films like Failure to Launch (2006), Surfer, Dude, or Fool’s Gold (both 2008), but in films like Contact (1997), Tropic Thunder (2008), or The Lincoln Lawyer, his considerable skill is put to better use. He is an actor, first and foremost, especially when he keeps his shirt on.

Mick Haller (McConaughey) is a defense attorney, and a damn good one. We’re not keyed in on his record of wins or losses, except for a few important ones, but I can imagine it’s somewhere comparable to 50-3. Even the license plate on his Lincoln sedan reads “NTGUILTY,” which is either a reminder to Haller himself that he earns an honest living, or just a mantra. He’s a drinker, and then some. You can imagine his southern charm being effective not only in the courtroom, but on the women he encounters, too. He’s genuine, but even that has its limits. Haller surrounds himself with clients and co-workers; outside of his ex-wife, Maggie (Marisa Tomei), and his private investigator, Frank (William H. Macy), I wonder if he has a true friend. The man’s clients consist of murderers, rapists, prostitutes, drug dealers - the type of roster any star defense attorney might have. Read More