Attorneys are a strange breed of people. They’re very interesting. Good ones are hard to come by and ones that care about your actual case are even harder. When you pick an attorney you have to ask yourself what kind do you want? Do you want someone who cares more? Someone who’s cockier? Someone very arrogant and sure of their ability? It’s a gamble no matter how you want to put it. They hold the outcome of your case in their hand and you’re trusting them in a very personal situation to do the very best they can for you.
Matthew McConaughey isn’t exactly known for his dramatic role. He seems to usually play the surfer or the stoner and he excels in those roles. But here in this movie he plays a much more dramatic character and shows that he really is capable of acting in a serious role.
This movie, directed by Brad Furman stars Matthew McConaughey in a role that’s much more serious. He plays an attorney by the name of Mickey Haller. Mickey is a very arrogant and certain character. He’s good at what he does and he certainly knows it. He operates out of the back seat of his Lincoln sedan and has made a living defending garden variety criminals.
One day, really through a lot of luck he lands himself the case of a lifetime defending a man named Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe). He’s accused of rape and attempted murder. The case seems very straight forward, but as things progress, it becomes apparent that things aren’t always as they appear and Mickey finds himself playing a game of survival instead. Things get out of hand and not only does Mickey find himself in a threatening situation, but his family does as well.
I have to say that I was quite impressed with Matthew McConaughey in this role. I’ve always know he was a capable actor and someone who could carry a movie, but he hasn’t exactly been given a chance. He seems to pick the less serious roles and has never found himself in a very serious film before this that he’s really excelled in. He does an excellent job and proves to the audience that he should be an A-list actor even though he really hasn’t been given the chance in the past.
Phillippe does a good job as well. He’s a capable actor and someone who can show multiple sides of his character on screen. He starts out by appearing all innocent and sweet and ends up in a very different light.
The film moves at a good pace and isn’t one you’ll be checking your watch all that much. There are a few parts that move a little slow, but with the addition of William H. Macy as Frank Levin, Mickey’s investigator, it helps to move things along. There really is an all-star cast in this movie, but it’s McConaughey that stands out the most.
This is definitely one movie that I would recommend that you see in the theater on opening weekend. The story is strong and the acting is equally up to par.
FINAL GRADE: B +
TRR Movie Revue by Bill Ayres
