The Lincoln Lawyer

From beginning to end, an extremely suspenseful film, which shows that it was born in the head of a single good writer and not in the skulls of three or more Hollywood screenwriters. Thoughtful, surprising, interesting, great. Matthew McConaughey is quite convincing in yet another lawyer role (the top-notch Amistad, the miserable A Time to Kill), the cast of other actors and actresses is flawless, and the rich plot and brisk direction make the two hours fly by like nothing. (04/08/2012)

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. (31/05/2011)

There are about as many quality lawyer movies as there are quality lawyers. But let's leave ethics aside. I've always passed by Michael Connelly’s books at the library, thinking it must be that sublime detective bore. This is perhaps the case, but this film parades through such a plethora of well-written, functional, and well-acted characters that I’m willing to forgive even the fancy points (if you've read a few books and seen a few films, it won't be anything special to you) and enjoy this great genre addition (how many years has it been, anyway?) without further lamentation. 4 ½. PS: I’m gonna take out that Connelly book, though. (07/08/2011)

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. (04/06/2011)

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%. (20/02/2013)