Small-time attorney Mickey Haller (Matthew McConaughey) just about gets by defending deadbeat clients from the back of his Lincoln Town Car. So when a highprofile case lands in his lap, he jumps at the chance to take it on.
Beverly Hills playboy Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe) has been accused of beating and raping a prostitute, and Mickey believes he has been brought on board to defend an innocent man. But with the help of private investigator Frank Levin (Macy), he identifies a link to an old case, for which previous client Jesus Martinez (Michael Pena) was prosecuted. Martinez had always protested his innocence, and Mickey begins to wonder if Roulet may have been the real culprit. As he gets closer to the truth, however, Mickey is horrified to discover he's putting his own daughter and ex-wife Margaret (Marisa Tomei) in grave danger.
Based on the novel by Michael Connelly, a brilliant turn from McConaughey elevates this crime thriller from solid to searing. Following a run of insipid rom-coms, McConaughey rediscovers his niche here as the slick, shallow lawyer forced to find previously unchartered depths. In the carefully chosen supporting cast, Tomei, Phillippe and William H. Macy add class, with the likes of John Leguizamo, Joshua Lucas and Breaking Bad's Bryan Cranston adding extra quality.
Fitting firmly into the crime thriller genre, The Lincoln Lawyer doesn't offer anything hugely original, but it's a slickly satisfying yarn that's guaranteed to grip.
The Lincoln Lawyer is a Film programme that first aired in 2011 and has been classified a 15 certificate.
