First Hit: A wonderfully acted rendition of a Michael Connelly novel.
When a film begins it is important that the audience becomes quickly engaged in what is happening on the screen.
Lincoln Lawyer sets us up with a slightly stubbled Mick Haller (played by Matthew McConaughey) in a nice suit sitting in the back of an older black Lincoln Continental being followed by a group of bikers. Pulling over he is in his element, part street smart, part smart aleck, and overall trusted lawyer to help the biker's man in jail; for a price.
A bail bondsman named Val (played by John Leguizamo) hooks Haller up with a rich young man named Louis Roulet (played by Ryan Phillippe), who has been accused of killing a prostitute. We learn early that Haller has a history of getting people off and this reputation for getting guilty people off is why the police department doesn’t like him and his former wife, a DA, left him.
Marisa Tomei plays his former wife with which Haller shares a child and she has to excuse herself from prosecuting Roulet because Haller is his lawyer. As Haller learns more about his client he also realizes his isn’t as innocent as he claims but what pisses him off more is Roulet’s lying and manipulation.
As Haller has his investigator Frank (played by William H. Macy) find out more about Roulet, Frank is all of a sudden killed by Haller’s own antique gun. Tension builds, what will Haller do? He applies his craft and out thinks his client to make his life more right.
McConaughey is fantastic as Haller. He carries his intelligence in a suave, street savvy way. In this film you can clearly see McConaughey can act. Leguizamo is good in his small, yet critical part. Phillippe is naturally good as a slick rich boy who thinks he’s entitled to be above the rest of the people. Tomei has a small yet effective part in providing a viable backdrop of a life for Haller. Macy is wonderful as Haller’s right hand man. John Romano did an excellent job of writing a screen play from the Connelly novel. Brad Furman did an outstanding job of directing this fine cast through this well written script. He kept the film moving, crisp, and suspenseful.
Overall: A nicely done film and one worth seeing.