A defense lawyer at odds with his client is –I imagine- something you only see on film and is a rare sight at that. I’m not talking “a defense lawyer disgusted/appalled by their client’s behavior.” I’m talking “the defense really wants to see their client go to jail.” That’s … rare.
That ain’t gonna be easy for The Lincoln Lawyer. Not only does he have an oath to defend the little punk; letting clients burn is really bad for business … and few people know that better than El Lay justice manipulator Mick Haller (Matthew McConaughey). Dubbed “Lincoln Lawyer” because he works out of the back of his car (or maybe because of the weird fake chin-only beard and stovepipe hat), Mick gets a tip on a battery case where the client will pay $$$$$ to go free. Ah, but there’s more to this than meets the private eye, isn’t there?
Mick is as smooth an operator as you’ll ever see. He’ll mock courtroom and client alike by strutting in an expensive suit and asking for a continuance because he hasn’t been paid properly, as he does early on in court defending a Hell’s Angel and telling the judge that key witness “Mr. Green” needs to be located before the case can continue. There is no Mr. Green, of course; that’s code to get the Angels to pony up (“motorbike up?”) the dough. There might be freebies on a Harley, but ain’t none in the Lincoln.
Smirking privileged playboy Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe) is the kind of guy who can’t get his comeuppance soon enough, not unlike George Zimmerman, Brock Turner, or any member of the Trump family. And like the best representatives of this ilk, boy-oh-boy can he play the victim card. On the night in question, a prostitute makes him an offer. At the end of their “date,” he’s in handcuffs and she’s in the emergency room. Louis insists he’s innocent, which is why (we assume) he’s landed Mick as his lawyer. It’s simply a matter of time before the two are at odds.
This was a plum role for McConaughey and one of the key moments in the world learning to spell his name correctly. As he gets in deeper, Mick loses the slick and gains a fifth or two of frustration. He
goes from being the ultimate defense lawyer to somebody who might snap at any moment. IMHO, the role of Mick Haller in 2011 signaled the moment Matthew McConaughey began a phase of “this guy could actually make an important film one day” as opposed to now when I think of Mr. McConaughey mostly as “this guy who made an important film once.”
The lawyerin’ is a bit on the “too slick” side, but I think the film is worth the investment. The Lincoln Lawyer is a throwback to the kind of courtroom drama we don’t see much of any longer. Television has claimed most of these moments. Crime fiction writer Michael Connelly probably should have more than “Bosch” to show for his body of adapted work, so I’m glad “The Lincoln Lawyer” is getting another shot on Netflix, albeit in TV format. When I think of the kind of movie characters that get sequels: superheroes, heavyweight boxers, rogue detectives, etc., defense lawyers generally don’t come to mind. It’s almost a shame; I think Matthew McConaughey could have made an entire career out of Lincoln Lawyering. It’s almost a shame he went and won an Oscar instead. Oh well.
There once was a lawyer named Mick
Whose client was a gigantic prick
But he swore to defend
Be it foe or friend
Doesn’t the system just make you sick?
Rated R, 118 Minutes
Director: Brad Furman
Writer: John Romano
Genre: El Lay justice
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Fans of legal procedurals
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: Pollyannas
