The Lincoln Lawyer is a lot like
The Chamber or
Fracture or any other forgettable courtroom thriller: it’s enjoyable for an hour or two but it’s hard to remember after you watch it.
What edges
The Lincoln Lawyer slightly ahead of the pack are the great cast and a great core conundrum. Forget all that “his office is a car!” stuff that NEVER comes into play either for plot or character motivation, what makes
The Lincoln Lawyer fun is ... unfortunately a huge spoiler. But the twist that hits about halfway through is quite clever, if never fully utilized.
It was either this or play another stripper. Despite the current trend of McConaughey bashing, he’s actually quite a charismatic leading man and a good enough actor to hold his own against Marissa Tomei and William H. Macy, which is no easy task. The weakest link in the cast is Ryan Phillipe, who tries to play brooding and mysterious but just comes off as lost amidst a much stronger cast.
Did you hear what that dick reviewer just said about me?Despite a great opening which takes its time to introduce fun characters and settle into this unique world of a transient, do-good lawyer, the final half of the movie devolves into a series of informational scenes as the film makers try to rein in their convoluted plot. At least three characters exist solely because they were in the novel and serve no purpose other than to convey basic info that could easily come from one of the core characters. And the final twist isn’t so much a twist as an obligatory scene that the director slapped together to add just a bit more action.
I grew it for a TV show, you want me in your film or not?The Lincoln Lawyer is a fun matinee diversion with bearable characters and decent cinematography. Pay for the cheap ticket, enjoy some reasonably witty banter, cheap thrills, and leave it all at the theater as you head home.
November 22, 2010, 04:16:10 PM
