After starring in a recent string of forgettable romantic comedies, Matthew McConaughey was essentially branded to the unfulfilling, yet profitable role of the talentless Hollywood hunk. In his latest role, McConaughey breaks down this persona with his confident demeanor and swayed-back hair, all while keeping his shirt on.
Based on Michael Connelly’s crime novel, “The Lincoln Lawyer” revolves around the hotshot attorney Mick Haller (Matthew McConaughey) who works out of the back of his Lincoln Sedan.
Famed for his reputation of freeing the guilty and imprisoning the innocent, he receives his biggest case when playboy Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe) comes to Haller exclaiming he has been wrongly accused of beating a prostitute.
The courtroom drama does not need to reach outside the boundaries of its genre to remain relevant. Elevated by a good supporting cast and a handful of clever plot twists and dialogue, “The Lincoln Lawyer” is able to stand out.
What is perhaps the film’s strongest, and also most surprising, attribute is leading man Matthew McConaughey. Starting off as a character devoid of a moral compass, he believably conveys the transformation of a man as he begins to recognize compassion among other people.
Coupled with his suave appearance and unquestioning masculinity, McConaughey puts himself back into the spotlight as one of the industry’s more compelling male leads.
A complex game of cat and mouse, “The Lincoln Lawyer” provides a fulfilling film during that time of year where quality is hard to come by. McConaughey breathes authority in his role, and if anything else, his performance is worth the price of admission.
