THE LINCOLN LAWYER
US, 2011, 118 minutes. Colour.
Matthew Mc Conaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy, Josh Lucas, John Leguizamo, Michael Pena, Bob Gunton, Frances Fisher, Bryan Cranston, Trace Adkins, Margarita Levieva, Pell James, Shea Whigham.
Directed by Brad Furman.
A screen adaptation of a novel by popular crime writer, Michael Connolly - and this reviewer has read all Connolly’s books so was in a high state of expectation for the film. Expectations more than fulfilled!
The Lincoln Lawyer is Mike Haller, a self-confident and shrewd (even devious) lawyer who takes on any case he can chase and get, though he does have his antennae up for who is guilty and who is not. Having lost his driving licence (he is prone to drinking), he has hired a driver for his Lincoln and works from the back seat as he is chauffeured around Los Angeles.
Mike Haller is played by Matthew Mc Connaughey (not one of this reviewer’s favourite actors) and he brings his character to life vividly and convincingly. It is, perhaps, Mc Connaughey’s best role. He looks the part, sounds the part and the screenplay (a very good adaptation from the novel by John Romano) enables him to display his skills as a wheeler-dealer par excellence in the opening sequences – very cocky with a mixture of suavity and smugness.
It is no wonder that he gets the job of defending a young real estate agent, Louis Roulet, who is accused of assault and battery. And the audience gets the chance to consider the case with Haller as we see two versions of what might have happened, the defendant’s plausible explanation and the police theory.
There are complications, of course, and Mike Haller finds himself in a position where he has to draw on some moral principles, investigate the justice of a case he had previously defended, and exercise his shrewdness to make justice do right at the end (which he does in a fascinatingly intricate performance, giving the impression that the course of events has nothing to do with him). McConnaughey? is also convincing as a man surprised to have to be wrestling with his conscience.
Director, Brad Furman, not only keeps the action going, but he directs a large cast, each of whom is essential to the plot. Sometimes they appear in only one or two sequences but they are given enough to do by the screenplay to make an impression and for us to appreciate how they are part of the Lincoln lawyer’s plan. They include, Michael Pare as a detective who despises Haller, Michael Pena as a man imprisoned for murder, Margarita Levieva as the assaulted prostitute, Frances Fisher as Louis Roulet’s demanding mother, Bob Gunton as the family legal counsel, Trace Adkins as a very hairy biker who becomes involved with the case and Shea Wigham as an addict snitch giving testimony in court.
While Marisa Tomei is good as Haller’s wife and Josh Lucas as the inadequate prosecuting lawyer, it is Ryan Philippe as Louis Roulet who is a match for Haller, the role of a man from a cushioned life who finds he has to protest his innocence. The other fine performance, as always, comes from William H. Macy as Haller’s investigator and friend.
All the threads seem to be tied together well at the end so, all in all, a superior example of this kind of crime, investigation, court proceedings movie.
1. The popularity of Michael Connolly’s novels? The adaptation? Characters, atmosphere of Los Angeles, the plot and the subplots?
2. Los Angeles by car, the wealthy areas, poorer areas, prisons, San Quentin, the courts, the streets and homes, the score?
3. The murder mystery, the twists, truth and lies? Mike Haller and his commenting on pure evil? The crime, wilfulness, protection? Justice – and freedom for the innocent?
4. Matthew Mc Conaughey as Mike Haller, his appearance, style, manner, speech, his driving, losing his licence, his drinking? The background of his marriage, separation from Maggie, his love for his daughter, taking her out? His father as an example for him in his career? Defence lawyer, human rights, the innocent and the guilty? The opening sequences setting him up as a wheeler-dealer, in the back of the Lincoln, his phone calls, his relationship with Earl, Earl wanting to keep the job, doing jobs for his boss? Going to the prison, the encounter with the bikie drug dealer? His contact with and information from Val? His being directed towards defending Louis Roulet? Driving the streets, going to the court, the encounter with the bikies, extracting the payment from them? His interview with Louis? Corliss listening in? Discussions with his wife, the issue of the bail, his smooth attitude in the court, a shrewd man with plenty of legal knowledge, his being able to think on his feet, his intuitions?
5. The central story, Louis and his protesting his innocence, wanting to get out of prison, employing Mike Haller? His relying on Cecil Dobbs as the family lawyer? The appearance in court, in his office, the presence of Louis’ mother and asking her to leave? The media photography – and the fact that it was a setup and a payoff? His reliance on Frank as his investigator?
6. The audience seeing two versions of the attack, Louis’ story and its plausibility, the plausibility of the evidence and suggesting that Louis was brutal towards the prostitute? Which version did the audience believe?
7. Mike Haller discovering that Louis had picked him, the reasons, his reaction? His looking at the photos of the battered woman? The evidence that the police had collected? Noting the resemblance to the previous murder? His visiting San Quentin, his discussions with Martinez? Martinez and his resentment – and the flashbacks with Haller persuading him to do a deal? His being the lawyer of the prostitute drug addict, his care for her, his getting her into rehabilitation? His using her for the setup with Corliss to trap Louis? Seeing her mopping the floor and the contact with Corliss? Haller and his visit to Louis on the golf course, Louis’ arrogance?
8. The character of Louis, spoilt, his doting mother, their wealth, never refused anything, Frank’s negative observation on him? His work as selling real estate? His brutality, the violence and the rape? His mother’s story, her work as a real estate agent, her being raped, Louis discovering her? Carrying the knife, the evidence in court about the knife, his going to the clubs and picking up women? His antagonism – and his motivation, how much influenced by his mother’s experience?
9. Frank, his type, his appearance, investigating? His loyalty to Haller? Favours from people at the court, getting the documents? The examination of the documents, being tricked about the knife and Louis’ response? His homosexuality orientation and Louis’ derogatory comment? His friendship with Haller, helping him with Maggie, with his drinking, getting him home? Researching the information about Louis’ parking tickets – the phone call, his death?
10. Maggie, her work, the marriage to Haller, their child, her care for the child, his visitation rights, taking the child out? His being a football parent urging her on as she was playing? Maggie’s love for the law, talking with Haller, the drinks, driving him home, his spending the night, avoiding her daughter seeing them? The threats from Louis?
11. Frank’s death, the missing gun, the detectives, the warrant and searching everywhere?
12. Detective Curlen? His hostile attitude towards Haller? Accosting him? Later in the court, his realisation of what Haller had done, his rearresting Louis?
13. The court sequences, the prosecutor and his presuppositions, not particularly efficient, his interrogations, the points being made, his objections? His losing? Haller warning him about the dangers? The contrast with Haller, his interrogations, his skill, the judge on his side? Doing his legal job in defending his client? His shrewdness in setting Louis up?
14. The skill in his distancing himself from the frame, his prostitute friend tapping into Corliss’s vanity? The judge allowing the late witness? The prosecutor’s interrogation? Haller interrogating him, then exposing him as a fraud, snitching on various prisoners in different cases? The judge throwing the case out? Louis and his reaction, his mother’s reaction? The irony of his being rearrested?
15. The threats, Louis getting out, Haller sending Maggie to her mother’s? His waiting at the house, the confrontation with Louis, the fight, the arrival of the bikies? Their brutalising Louis? And asking him for a discount later? And Haller’s shrewdness in letting them not pay – but charging them extra the next time?
16. Louis’ mother, her being in the house, the confrontation with Haller, with his gun, her shooting him, his shooting her?
17. The minor characters and their importance, Haller’s assistant, the prostitute addict, the prostitute who had been assaulted? Martinez? The head of the bikies?
18. A satisfying investigation, murder mystery, legal film?
