The Lincoln Lawyer

Lincoln Car and Street Smart Lawyer Hook-Up For Legal Entertainment
The Lincoln Lawyer, R, ****, Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Louis Ryan, Josh Lucas, William H. Macey. Lionsgate film. Director Brad Furman. Length 118 minutes.

The song playing in the opening scene has a haunting message connected with this film. The song is Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City. The lyrics give the audience a hint of the theme taking place in this excellent film.
Mick Haller (Matthew McConaughey) is a lawyer working out of his Lincoln vehicle. His chauffer, Earl (Lawrence Mason) is loyal and wants to keep his job. It seems that Mick lost his Drivers License. He may have had too much “Fruit of the Vine.” Earl is worried about losing his job when Mick retains his license. Not to worry Mick has compassion, and his license was returned several months ago. Earl has no worries.
The audience meets some very shady characters as the movie opens and progresses through the streets of Los Angeles. From a Hell’s Angels Biker gang to some very shady high society individuals, Mick takes on all sorts of cases.
His personalized car tag reads NTGUILTY. The reader gets the idea that his job is to see that everyone gets a fair trial. Innocent until proven guilty appears to be Mick’s motto. Mick seems to be the lawyer to hire for the best chances of being proven innocent.
He is not above stretching the truth, prevaricating, or if one prefers lying. He is a wheeler and dealer when it comes to courtroom antics and street smarts.
His ex-wife is Maggie (Marisa Tomei). They are still pretty close friends. Mick and Maggie have a young girl. Maggie is a prosecutor. Both have well, not a spark, but a burning fire between them. Living together just does not seem to work for them. Maggie does not appreciate Mick helping bad guys to avoid jail time. Sometimes they have to take turns being the designated driver.
The film begins to get complicated when Mick takes on a client named Louis (Ryan Phillippe). He comes from a very successful family. Ryan is accused of assaulting a woman. The case begins to get very touchy when one of Mick’s former clients seems to be connected with some past incidents involving Louis. The client is in jail.
Mick has a lot of enemies, because of his ability to help clients. But he also has lots of friends in low places. It is the Justice System and the Constitution that assures everyone a fair trial. Mick is just doing his job. Sometimes he does cross the line.
He has a private investigator working with him, Frank (William H. Macy). Mick and Frank are friends. Frank is a dedicated and capable investigator.
“The Lincoln Lawyer” is a really great story. It will keep the viewers attention from beginning to end. Guessing at the next revelation in the case, and how Mick will handle the information he has adds apprehension to the story.
This is one of McConaughey’s best performances. The story keeps the audience on edge for the whole film. The courtroom scenes are excellent with lots of tension. The film takes several twists and turns as it proceeds to the outstanding finish.
From courtroom drama to personal lives of Mick and Maggie, “The Lincoln Lawyer” delivers the testimonies, witnesses, evidence, and of course, excellent acting throughout the 118 minutes of run time.
I recommend this film for sheer entertainment with an engaging story. It will connect with the viewer throughout the journey toward the final verdict when court is adjourned.