Now, About That Name…

The Lincoln Lawyer (2011) A lawyer with a reputation for getting things done for his bottom of the food chain clients gets the case of a lifetime. A Beverly Hills realtor’s son is accused of raping a prostitute, and Mick Haller, whose office is the back of a Lincoln Continental, thinks he can get him off. There are a few secrets that Mick isn’t supposed to discover along the way.

Directed by Brad Furman

Starring Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phllippe, William H. Macy, John Leuizamo, Laurance Mason, Bryan Cranston.

Why I Liked It – A wonderful legal thriller with a brilliant cast

There was no way I was going to pass up this one, once I’d seen the cast list. I’m a huge McConaughey fan. His good old boy, whether it’s a good guy or a bad guy, just grabs me. He’s on my list of “Actors I’ll Watch In Anything”. That put “The Lincoln Lawyer” in a good place right off the bat.

Then there was Marisa Tomei. I don’t need to explain that, do I?

William H. Macy. Love him. John Leguizamo. Love him. Bryan Cranston. Love him. Michael Pena. Always so good.

The rest of the cast is lesser known, but does a fine job here.

The story, based on novel of the same title by Michael Connolly, is tight with some nice twists.

So, what was not to love?

Mick Haller is a lawyer to those at the fringes of legal society. A local biker gang is a regular client, as an example. Call him the top tier lawyer for bottom tier members of society. He works out of the back seat of a classic mid-80’s Lincoln Town Car (three years later, McConaughey became the spokesperson for Lincoln), driven by his smart, tough and loyal driver, Earl. Laurence Mason is brilliant in the role. One day in court a high end expensive lawyer draws Mick into a case involving a rich kid with a nasty streak. Entitled and fully believing that Mommy’s money will solve all of his problems, even rape accusations. Mick is all in for the money, and takes the case. Turns out there is a level of vileness to his client that make his usuals look a lot more like choir boys. The tension and danger mount to the surprise climax. Just fun stuff, start to finish.

Have you noticed I’ve been skipping someone here? Yeah, I wanted to give his own special nod. I mean, with that name how could I not? When I went back to look at his filmography, I realized despite some 80 appearances in movies and television, I’ve only seen him in two other places. I saw “Gosford Park”, and “Chicago Hope”. Now I feel like I’m letting the larger family down, lol!

Ryan Phillippe is brilliant here as the sleaze knees, violent psychopathic trust fund baby. The final scene between Roulet and Haller is beautifully subtle. The threat to Mick’s family is quiet and reasonable sounding while describing the kind of “chill down your spine” terror the moment requires. Really, really impressed. I’ll have to explore some of his other stuff.

Overall, I enjoyed “The Lincoln Lawyer” a lot. if you enjoy courtroom thrillers, I thing you’ll be well rewarded with this one.

Your can stream “The Lincoln Lawyer” on Peacock, Google Movie, Apple TV, and Fandango

Rating – **** Recommended