The Lincoln Lawyer 2011 * * * Stars

Director: Brad Furman
Year: 2011

Rated R

Rating: * * * Stars

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe

With a juicy script, strong performances, and harmless TV cop show overtones, The Lincoln Lawyer is an entertaining, fly by the seat of your pants ride. It also represents some of the best acting you'll ever see by Matthew McConaughey. He plays with confidence and aggression, a morally misguided defense attorney representing some shady (mostly guilty) clients. On the way to his court appointments or meetings with his defendants, he rides in a Lincoln Town Car (with his own personal driver I might add).

Involving and absorbing yet containing a few plot holes (not to mention unsure character motives), this film nevertheless glides by on its slick, no nonsense approach. What The Lincoln Lawyer doesn't answer though, is whether or not to root for or feel any sympathy towards McConaughey's character (Mickey Haller). If you can get past that, basically you're left with a courtroom drama, a lightweight character study, and a hip hop music video all rolled up into one. I just wish that it didn't conclude without tying up a few loose ends first. However, The Lincoln Lawyer is, what I think to be a great "movie night" selection. Let's just call it the Citizen Kane of nightly rentals.

Written by Jesse Burleson