The Lincoln Lawyer

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Ryan Phillippe, Marisa Tomie
Directed by Brad Furman
Rating: **

dapted from a novel of the same name by Michael Connelly, The Lincoln Lawyer is a courtroom thriller about a degenerate Los Angeles defence attorney, Mickey Haller (McConaughey), who has very little to show by way of conscience or morals but is deeply committed to making money. His ex-wife and public prosecutor Maggie (Marisa Tomei) is critical of Haller standing up for the guilty. Things take a turn when he gets a big break, defending Louis Roulet (Phillipe), the son of a real estate czarina, who is charged with assaulting a prostitute. What seems like an open-and-shut case gets tangled at each step. In the web of warped set-ups and crooked deals, Haller is left questioning his own scruples and wondering if innocence is what it seems.

McConaughey plays Haller with his usual rakish charm, Phillipe is an innocent counterfoil and Tomei dignified, allowing her age to show on the face. The film is not the big thriller of the year. It is fairly predictable, offers no great surprises and takes a little while to find its groove. But once Haller’s big case gets rolling it does make for a smooth, pacy entertainer. One that may not quite take you to the edge of your seat but keeps you glued.