Film Reviews

The Lincoln Lawyer

• Rating:
• Director:
• Starring: Josh Lucas
• Details: US/118mins 15A

The kind of court room/procedural thriller that was a rite of passage for movie stars in the '90s, there is absolutely nothing in The Lincoln Lawyer that you wouldn't be able to see from the comfort of your own couch. There was a reason studios stopped making these flicks. Actually, there were several - most notably Law and Order, CSI, Criminal Minds, Cold Case and their ilk - and Hollywood seemed to listen... Until now. This isn't an awful film, it's just barely serviceable fodder that Matthew McConaughey has already done better with A Time to Kill over a decade ago.
Everyone's favourite shirtless Dolce and Gabanna model plays Mick Haller, a somewhat unscrupulous lawyer who only does business from his car (hence the title) and specialises in the guilty. When Ryan Phillippe's rich maybe-rapist turns up in the joint on seemingly locked charges, Haller doubts his guilt more than his innocence on a gut feeling. But there's more to this case than meets the eye, and an old client that has haunted our notary could seem suddenly relevant.
The Lincoln Lawyer is primarily lazy; when someone figures something out, it's generally after staring at a piece of evidence for long enough, or simply just going away thinking about it for a while. The clichés are abundant, and the hook of a lawyer with a car for an office doesn't really hold traction for long - it makes for a nice poster, though. McConaughey does, however, get to prove that he can still churn out an actual performance when he wants - as opposed to taking his shirt off and acting all roguish.
A brilliant supporting cast that includes Bryan Cranston, Josh Lucas, William H. Macy and John Leguizamo are completely wasted, though, while Marisa Tomei is another famous mush in a nothing role. Yet the main problem is a smug quality that a lot of films of this ilk seem to embody, constantly thinking that they're one step ahead of the audience. When the attempted 'bombshell' ending finally does take place, it's just silly - and by that stage, you probably won't care, anyway, because of the way the 'big reveal' is handled.
McConaughey is solid, and helmer Furman does his best to inject some style - but The Lincoln Lawyer's storyline is just far too pedestrian to register.

Review by Mike Sheridan