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Whenever I find a book that I really, truly enjoy, I should probably refrain from watching the movie adaptation. After all, most of the time—whether it’s a vampire romance, a beloved kids’ book, or some work of classic literature—I end up walking away feeling disappointed. And that was the case once again for the big-screen version of Michael Connelly’s The Lincoln Lawyer—an interesting (but cheesy) adaptation that’s still not as good as the book.
Matthew McConaughey stars as Mickey Haller, a slick defense attorney who’s known both for his questionable clientele and for the fact that his office is the back seat of a chauffeured Lincoln.
Though Mickey typically represents gang members and prostitutes, his latest client is different. Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe) is a wealthy real estate agent who’s been accused of assault. He insists that he’s innocent—and Mickey suspects that he could be telling the truth—so, with the help of his investigator, Frank Levin (William H. Macy), he begins building a case. But as the cracks begin to show, Mickey begins to question his client’s innocence—and his responsibilities as a defense attorney.
For those who haven’t read the novel on which it was based, The Lincoln Lawyer is an intriguing (though undeniably cheesy) crime drama. The story is smarter (and more complex) than the usual whodunit, and the characters have more depth. Mickey, for instance, may be the typical greedy defense attorney—and he’s more than just a little bit sleazy—but he finds himself working on a case that makes him think long and hard about what he does for a living and how it may affect those he loves, those he works for, and the innocent victims that he doesn’t even know.
For those who have read the novel, though, it just doesn’t go deep enough. Of course, it’s impossible to cover every last detail of a 500-plus-page novel in a two-hour movie—but you’ll definitely be able to feel the difference. Many of the characters and their relationships get only minimal development—which also minimizes some of the drama that plays out between them. Also missing are many of the intricate details of the case—those clever twists and carefully-planned tactics that, in the movie, come off feeling more like lucky coincidences than planned and practiced maneuvers.
At the same time, though, The Lincoln Lawyer does have its charms. McConaughey was perfectly cast as roguish attorney—and he (along with the constantly twisting plot) helps to hold viewers’ attention. Though many of the performances feel awkward, he’s perfectly cheesy—just as the character should be.
The directing, however, probably shouldn’t be this cheesy. Director Brad Furman seems to be trying just a little too hard to make the film look as slick as its star—and the result it a bunch of goofy flashbacks, hokey transitions, jerky zooms, and an abundance of annoying close-ups. The overabundance of flashy filmmaking techniques often distracts from the story itself, which makes it all the more frustrating.
While The Lincoln Lawyer isn’t nearly as skillfully crafted as its literary inspiration, though, it’s still an intriguing mystery. If you loved the book, be sure to keep your expectations in check. But McConaughey makes it a lovably cheesy film that’s worth checking out on a lazy Friday night.
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