Directed by:
Brad FurmanScreenplay:
John RomanoCinematography:
Lukas EttlinComposer:
Cliff MartinezCast:
Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, Michael Peña, Bob Gunton, Frances Fisher, Bryan Cranston (more)Plots(1)
In the gripping thriller The Lincoln Lawyer, Matthew McConaughey stars as Michael "Mick" Haller, a slick, charismatic Los Angeles criminal defense attorney who operates out of the back of his Lincoln Continental sedan. Having spent most of his career defending petty, gutter- variety criminals, Mick unexpectedly lands the case of a lifetime: defending a rich Beverly Hills playboy (Ryan Phillippe) who is accused of attempted murder. However, what initially appears to be a straightforward case with a big money pay-off swiftly develops into a deadly match between two masters of manipulation and a crisis of conscience for Haller. (Lionsgate US)
(more)Reviews (14)
The Lincoln Lawyer is a nice chill-out flick with 1990s stars, especially Matthew McConaughey, who reprises his
most remarkable role of that period (the attorney in A Time to Kill). Too bad that the script oversimplifies
some of the plot twists and the connections between them, opting to look cool at the expense of being
realistic. That drags the film down, weakens its impact as a thriller and buries any potential for drama.
Because of this, it ends up being nothing more than “cool fun”.
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A pleasant surprise and sheer pleasure from a smart film, and I'd say there have been few legal dramas of the same quality as this since Coppola's magnificent The Rainmaker. Matthew McConaughey has finally shed the jaded skin of the sunny boy on the surfboard, and after years (since his role in Schumacher's A Time to Kill) he has returned to what he does best: a passionate advocate who evokes ambivalent feelings – you want to kick him for his cockiness, but you're rooting for him at the same time. The clever script contains so many plot twists that they would be enough for three other films, and I nod my head in approval and highly recommend it.
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This deceptive courtroom drama, in which no one acts honestly, was based on Michael Connelly’s popular novel of the same name. The corrupt nature of most of the characters, not excepting the protagonist, does not serve the film as an object of criticism. On the contrary, The Lincoln Lawyer gently convinces us that it can’t be any other way today. What’s important is to have something on everyone and if you don’t know more than the other, you at least pretend that you do. Naturally, the outer shell ultimately gives way to an uncorrupted core, a “nice” story with a lesson about decent behaviour at the end, but I enjoy the fact that traditional values are called into question in a film about law and justice. What’s even more surprising is that I also liked how Matthew McConaughey conceived his character of yet another arrogant hotshot, which – unlike a dozen of his previous roles – actually makes sense this time. You get the feeling that he is hiding something more behind his behaviour. If he didn’t show off, he would be either a zero or pushing up daisies. This dramaturgically complete, though somewhat long, film is held up from the side by excellent actors in supporting roles (Bryan Cranston, William H. Macy). Its lack of functionality as a thriller is a problem of viewer expectations rather than a problem with the directing. It would need more unrevealed cards, more suspense and more reasons to worry about someone’s wellbeing. But I had no problem with the film as a drama. 75%
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I’ve been telling myself recently that it’s a shame that there haven’t been many good pure thrillers in the last few years. The Lincoln Lawyer fits this category perfectly, it’s very well made, with a smart story and several interesting twists, good performances – overall, a very nice dose of thriller tension. My only quibble is in the script, some of the events don’t move forward in a very clear way. Otherwise, it exceeded my expectations.
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There are about as many quality lawyer movies as there are quality lawyers. But let's leave ethics aside. I've always passed by Michael Connelly’s books at the library, thinking it must be that sublime detective bore. This is perhaps the case, but this film parades through such a plethora of well-written, functional, and well-acted characters that I’m willing to forgive even the fancy points (if you've read a few books and seen a few films, it won't be anything special to you) and enjoy this great genre addition (how many years has it been, anyway?) without further lamentation. 4 ½. PS: I’m gonna take out that Connelly book, though.
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Ever since I was a little kid, I lived with the belief that court cases are the sort of scenes that will never get fun for me. There were moments that pleasantly surprised me, but I never expected to be blown away by a movie based on court cases. And that’s mainly because it is about a lawyer. The lawyer is portrayed by Matthew McConaughey, who was probably born for this profession, because wherever he’s appeared as a lawyer, he’s always acted it out so well that I just kept nodding at a job well done. Matt’s simply good at that. And once you run into this sort of movie about everything that would convince you that this is a five-star experience right at first glance, it’s simply worth watching, because nothing is more surprising than a movie that you didn’t expect much of yet it ends up deserving those five stars. Not only for everything I already wrote about, but also for the gorgeous and natural atmosphere and especially the ending that created a movie closure more beautiful than anything I’ve seen in a long time. The Lincoln Lawyer has a great movie soul and I admit that I’d almost forgotten what that movie soul looks like. And here it is.
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Who would ever have thought Matthew McConaughey could act so well. Without thinking twice, I rate the role of Mick Haller as his best. Ryan Phillippe was also an excellent choice with the first role that suits him in a long time. A quality script with a successful plot. 4.5 stars. After much thought, I'm leaning towards a higher rating because the film as a whole made a good impression on me.
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The success of The Lincoln Lawyer largely lies in the casting of Matthew McConaughey in the lead role. Both in terms of his appearance and his character acting, he perfectly fits the image of a cunning and experienced lawyer who has equally good relationships in the justice system as well as in the underworld. The direction by Brad Furman is also worth mentioning, as he has shown here that when he wants to, he can make a film at a high level and with the use of modern film techniques. However, in my opinion, the script is quite average and it does not avoid clichés or improbable errors. Overall impression: 60%.
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An excellent cast and quality screenplay which is well thought out and everything falls nicely into place. McConaughey suits the role of crafty ace lawyer nicely and Ryan Phillippe also puts on a good performance. Delicious legal eagling.
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An unusually alert and sharp lawyer with an incredibly stylish and eloquent McConaughey. It terms of the script, it's rather average, but it impresses mainly with its details and excellent dialogues. It's not extremely daring or controversial, and partly because of that, it will likely fade from one's mind quickly, but the overall impression remains positive. Modernly filmed old school.
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From beginning to end, an extremely suspenseful film, which shows that it was born in the head of a single good writer and not in the skulls of three or more Hollywood screenwriters. Thoughtful, surprising, interesting, great. Matthew McConaughey is quite convincing in yet another lawyer role (the top-notch Amistad, the miserable A Time to Kill), the cast of other actors and actresses is flawless, and the rich plot and brisk direction make the two hours fly by like nothing.
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A quality script that is unreadable until the last moment, stylish direction by Furman that spits out one thrilling scene after another, and a slick McConaughey in his best role since the turn of the millennium. The result may not be as impressive as Schumacher's A Time to Kill, but it’s still one of the better legal thrillers, which Hollywood is unfortunately already full to bursting :-) A second screening is a must... 80%
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Michael Connelly is my favorite author. And that's ironically bad news for this film. I revisited it precisely because I finally got to the book it's based on, and the film didn't come out on top in this comparison. Let's start with the casting. While Matthew McConaughey was a good choice for the role of Michael Haller, Ryan Phillippe (although I have nothing against him) didn't fit at all as his adversary. I understand the screenwriter had to deviate from the source material (otherwise, it would have to be a series), but at the same time, the story lost its compactness, and a lot of things were rushed through, which didn't do justice to the logic of the plot. The film wasn't bad, but it just doesn't quite hold up to the book, so three stars will have to do. / Lesson learned: Want to be a priest or a lawyer? Learn to keep quiet.
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Matthew McConaughey is currently not an actor I greatly admire, but lately it seems that he will have luck with roles that will show what he truly is. "The Lincoln Lawyer" is definitely one of those films that show us that he is not just one of those actors who are in movies to show off their muscles. Although it is true that he simply has them. "The Lincoln Lawyer" is an example of this person's ability to act. It is more or less a one-man show, although even Ryan Phillippe, in his classic pose as a rich guy who has a lot of money, does quite well. Perhaps it is because he doesn't have as much space. Matthew McConaughey, however, is believable as a tough lawyer, a person who secures the evidence he needs, but also as an ordinary person. Not to mention that as a strategist, his character is excellent. How would you answer this question: "What should I do when I know my client is a murderer?" Mick Haller answered it in his own way, and even though the courtroom trial is the most interesting part, which is well filmed and acted, the main action takes place outside the courtroom. I haven't experienced such an interesting combination of crime and legal drama in a long time, where the police are not in the lead, but the main character is the lawyer. As a whole, it left a good impression on me, although the ending is played out in a classical way, in the car, and perhaps it ends positively unnecessarily. However, I don't have much to criticize, the film is definitely above average, although not great, it is easily digestible despite its relatively long duration, and you also take away a good feeling that not every lawyer at Haller's level is a jerk. Although that is probably not true, it doesn't matter. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/08/warrior-x-ms-1-sibir-5x-rychle-zbesile.html
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