The Lincoln Lawyer

Director Brad Furman's hard-boiled police procedural, based on Michael Connelly's titular bestseller, stars Matthew McConaughey as Mick Haller, a slick Southern California criminal defense attorney who's driven around Los Angeles by his chauffeur Earl (Laurence Mason) in a sleek, black Lincoln Continental that doubles as a mobile office. Mick's newest client is spoiled, arrogant, rich young real estate broker Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), who vigorously denies raping and beating a prostitute he met in a bar. Louis' haughty Beverly Hills realtor mother (Frances Fisher) disdains Mick's aggressiveness but realizes that he's her son's only hope for acquittal against evidence acquired by prosecutor Ted Minton (Josh Lucas). Also featured in this complicated mix are Mick's savvy district attorney ex-wife (Marisa Tomei), his intrepid investigator (William H. Macy), a pair of cops (Bryan Cranston and Michael Paré), and a crook (Michael Peña). While McConaughey and the strong supporting cast shine, The Lincoln Lawyer remains an otherwise standard-issue legal thriller. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “Making the Case” production featurette (14 min.), “At Home on the Road” with writer Michael Connelly (10 min.), “One on One” with Connelly and star Matthew McConaughey (5 min.), deleted scenes (4 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a tame thriller.] (S. Granger)