McConaughey presence overcomes lazy directing in 'The Lincoln Lawyer'

Director: Brad Furman

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, William H. Macy, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe

Cert: 15

It’s good to see McConaughey get his teeth into something more substantial than his recent string of lame comedies and indifferent rom-coms.

Here he plays Mick Haller, the lawyer of the title who operates out of the back of his Lincoln auto, while being driven around Los Angeles.

Haller doesn’t do things by the book, a trait that doesn’t always endear him to his clients (he has a biker gang on his heels for not getting a gang member out of clink) or the authorities … but he’s slick and full of confident swagger.

When he gets the job of defending rich Beverly Hills playboy Louis Roulet (Phillippe), charged with beating up a hooker, Haller figures it’s an easy money-earner.

But is his client as innocent as he seems, and how does Haller tackle what looks like a corrupt legal system.

Based on the best-selling courtroom thriller by Michael Connelly, whose books fly off the shelves, the screen version, while decent enough, somehow fails to match the drive of the novel, nor is it helped by lazy directing.

What makes it enjoyably watchable is McConaughey’s strong performance of charm, guile, grit and wit. Macy, who never turns in a dud, is excellent as Haller’s investigative buddy but Tomei isn’t given much chance to do anything other than merely appear from time to time as Haller’s ex-wife.

Star Rating: 4/5