Why Matthew McConaughey ever wastes his time with cheesy romantic comedies is beyond me because he has proven once again that he has a knack for the legal drama. The Lincoln Lawyer is his first lawyer flick since A Time To Kill in 1996 and both are quite successful. This film follows a tricky case where a rich man (Ryan Phillippe) is accused of beating up a prostitute. But as the case evolves, McConaughey finds a connection to an old murder, which puts everyone around him in danger.
With the oversaturation of legal dramas currently on television, the twists and turns in the case lose a certain something. But The Lincoln Lawyer’s strength is the ability to create tension in the characters. McConaughey is a convincing lawyer, father and generally more likeable than he is in some other performances. Marissa Tomei and William H Macy give support like one would expect from two Academy Award winners. Ryan Phillippe however, has some stumbles. There are points where he seems to be just reciting his lines with no attempt at realism. Or maybe he is supposed to sound like that and Phillippe is acting out a person acting. Either way, the immediacy with which the audience grows to hate his character means he must be doing something right.
The script’s fast pace works well with the actors involved and they have no trouble keeping up. I doubt the real world of high stakes court cases plays out with the theatrical twists and turns like it does here, but it’s a movie and I realize that. The use of everyday swearing adds authenticity to the dialogue because admit it, people swear a lot. Since the movie needs to be rated R because of all the violence, a few “F bombs” here and there doesn’t hurt anybody. A pretty F-ing good movie if you ask me. (8.8 out of 10)
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