Movie review: The Lincoln Lawyer

I'm not a big Matthew McConaughey fan but I thought he was very well cast in The Lincoln Lawyer. Based on the book of the same name by Michael Connelly, the movie tells the story of a lawyer, Mickey Haller, who conducts his legal business from the back of an old Lincoln as he's chauffeured around L.A. He usually handles small-time crooks and mopes but suddenly, he's hired by a rich guy (Ryan Phillipe) who's been arrested for beating and raping a girl he picked up in a bar. Why Haller was picked to represent the rich guy turns out to be very important. (I did wonder why Haller didn't at least ponder why this rich guy picked him when he could have had any big-name lawyer in L.A. but sometimes you just have to go with the flow in a movie.)

William H. Macy is great as Mickey's friend and investigator. Marisa Tomei is wonderful as Mickey's ex-wife, with whom he's still on more than friendly terms. (In fact, you kind of wonder why they ever broke up.)And the plot has plenty of twists as Mickey discovers a way out of the mess he has found himself in. Definitely worth a matinee-price ticket.