Film Review: 'The Lincoln Lawyer'

Directed by: Brad Furman (The Infiltrator) Starring: Matthew Mcconaughey (Dallas Buyers Club, Interstellar, every shitty romantic comedies in the 2000s), Marisa Tomei Runtime: 118 minutes

Maybe this is an out-of-left-field choice for a film this week, but personally, I find this to be one of the most underrated courtroom drama movies ever made: an entertaining, engrossing film, anchored by a career-resurrecting turn by Matthew Mcconaughey.

The film, based on the novel of the same name, tells the story of Mickey Haller, a hot-shot defense attorney usually in charge of garden-variety criminal cases, who also works primarily from the back seat of his car, the titular "Lincoln".

Mickey is then hired by a wealthy family to represent Louis (Ryan Phillipe), a spoiled, Beverly Hill playboy in a wrongful murder case. When the case begins to unravel, Mickey finds many similarities to a case that has haunted him for years. This happens all while he is trying to reconnect with his ex wife and fellow prosecutor, Maggie and their daughter.

The best thing about this film, by far, is Mcconaughey's performance, arguably the one that jumpstarted the "Mcconaissance", an amazing run of critical and commercial successes (Interstellar being the prime example). He sells the role of the multi-dimensional lawyer, who is torn by moral dilemmas in his cases.

Sure, the script is a very by-the-numbers affair, and not all parts of the movie necessarily shine as bright as its protagonist, but as an arthouse-popcorn choice for those of you willing to take on the gravitas and many twists and turns of this courtroom drama film, this is an incredibly rewarding watch, one that will stick on your mind long after the credits have rolled.

Overall: B+: A formulaic script fails to weigh this exceptional movie down Best recommended for How To Get Away With Murder fans, or those familiar to the defense attorney job, fans of Matthew's charismatic performances, or just those curious about what really happens when the truth isn't what you might think