The Lincoln Lawyer

A quality script that is unreadable until the last moment, stylish direction by Furman that spits out one thrilling scene after another, and a slick McConaughey in his best role since the turn of the millennium. The result may not be as impressive as Schumacher's A Time to Kill, but it’s still one of the better legal thrillers, which Hollywood is unfortunately already full to bursting :-) A second screening is a must... 80% (18/02/2013)

The success of The Lincoln Lawyer largely lies in the casting of Matthew McConaughey in the lead role. Both in terms of his appearance and his character acting, he perfectly fits the image of a cunning and experienced lawyer who has equally good relationships in the justice system as well as in the underworld. The direction by Brad Furman is also worth mentioning, as he has shown here that when he wants to, he can make a film at a high level and with the use of modern film techniques. However, in my opinion, the script is quite average and it does not avoid clichés or improbable errors. Overall impression: 60%. (21/02/2013)

A pleasant surprise and sheer pleasure from a smart film, and I'd say there have been few legal dramas of the same quality as this since Coppola's magnificent The Rainmaker. Matthew McConaughey has finally shed the jaded skin of the sunny boy on the surfboard, and after years (since his role in Schumacher's A Time to Kill) he has returned to what he does best: a passionate advocate who evokes ambivalent feelings – you want to kick him for his cockiness, but you're rooting for him at the same time. The clever script contains so many plot twists that they would be enough for three other films, and I nod my head in approval and highly recommend it. (01/06/2011)

I’ve been telling myself recently that it’s a shame that there haven’t been many good pure thrillers in the last few years. The Lincoln Lawyer fits this category perfectly, it’s very well made, with a smart story and several interesting twists, good performances – overall, a very nice dose of thriller tension. My only quibble is in the script, some of the events don’t move forward in a very clear way. Otherwise, it exceeded my expectations. (05/06/2011)

The Lincoln Lawyer is a nice chill-out flick with 1990s stars, especially Matthew McConaughey, who reprises his most remarkable role of that period (the attorney in A Time to Kill). Too bad that the script oversimplifies some of the plot twists and the connections between them, opting to look cool at the expense of being realistic. That drags the film down, weakens its impact as a thriller and buries any potential for drama. Because of this, it ends up being nothing more than “cool fun”. (11/08/2011)