Much like the luxury car of its title, The Lincoln Lawyer is a smooth ride. So seductive are the film's surface charms that it's easy to forgive the protagonist for being, as one character succinctly calls him, an asshole.
But that's a trait common to many a movie hero, so why quibble? Akin to the private dicks of film noir, Matthew McConaughey's Mick Haller is smug, smooth talking and not above making a few shady deals. And much like those same detectives whose line of work frequently forces them to confront the darker aspects of humanity, Haller takes to the bottle when he realizes circumstances are far worse than they once appeared.
Having the hero toss back the amber liquid is a familiar but effective film noir trope, a storyteller's shorthand for affirming a character's conscience and resetting his moral compass to true north. Small wonder about the noirish aspects of The Lincoln Lawyer, as it was based on the best-seller by Michael Connelly, an author whose detective fiction has earned comparisons to that of Raymond Chandler.
But as adapted to the big screen, this is noir that doesn't go quite noir enough, avoiding the pitch black and settling instead for a haze that is too easily blown clear.
Despite its flaws, the film cruises along thanks to the immense charisma and fine acting of McConaughey, who deserves far better than the roles to which he's frequently assigned. Top to bottom, the movie has been exceptionally well cast, with noteworthy work by Josh Lucas and Marisa Tomei.
Good thing for those performances, too. As it reaches the back end of its lumbering 2-hour running time, The Lincoln Lawyer becomes increasingly impatient to set things right, glossing over its stupid plot developments in the process. You may enjoy this ride. Just don't forget you've been taken for one, too.
This article appears in Mar 17-23, 2011.