The Lincoln Lawyer

THE LINCOLN LAWYER (2011) - Apr. 1, 2011
About a street-smart lawyer who finds himself involved in a case where everything is not as it seems, this was a by-the-numbers legal thriller elevated by solid direction (a little shakier than I would like, but solid nonetheless) and some above-average performances -- particularly a really engaging turn by Matthew McConaughey.  It's kind of delightful (and increasingly rare) to see a straight-forward thriller that isn't aimed towards teenagers.  This is the type of film we saw quite a bit of up until about a decade ago, and I'm really not sure why they went away.  Another bonus of films like this: lots of room for interesting character actors, like Bryan Cranston, Bob Gunton and William H. Macy.  ***