“The Lincoln Lawyer” is a great legal thriller directed by Brad Furman, based on the novel of the same name by Michael Connelly. With Matthew McConaughey in the lead, the cast of the movie also includes Ryan Phillippe, Marisa Tomei, Josh Lucas, William H. Macy, and Bryan Cranston.

The plot is the tale of a criminal defense lawyer who realizes, after taking on a case involving assault, that his client is not innocent. Mickey Haller, a criminal defense lawyer in LA County, earns his money defending petty criminals. While his chauffeur, Earl, drives his Lincoln Town car across town, Mickey uses the car as his makeshift office. He shares custody of his young daughter with his ex-wife, Maggie, who works as a DA at the same courthouse. Mickey and Maggie still get along and share a friends-with-benefits relationship. Among his clients is the leader of a biker gang.

Louis Roulet, the scion of a wealthy family, is accused of assaulting a prostitute, Regina, and chooses Mickey to defend him. Louis refuses any possibility of pleading guilty and is adamant that he is innocent even though a guilty verdict could bring him the death penalty. Impressed by Louis’s courage, Mickey chooses to defend him. Mickey manages to get Louis released on bail.

Haller recruits his friend, private investigator Frank, to investigate the case. While going through the evidence, Mickey realizes that the injuries inflicted on Regina bear a resemblance to the injuries sustained by a victim in a prior case that he has worked on. In the previous case, however, the victim, who was also a prostitute, did not survive the attack. In that case, Mickey persuaded his client, Martinez, who was charged with the crime, to plead guilty as there had been overwhelming evidence to implicate Martinez.

Now suspecting that his client, Louis, may actually be the person responsible for both crimes, Mickey meets Martinez in prison. Martinez had earlier claimed to have seen a man talking to the prostitute the same evening the woman was brutally killed.

When presented with a set of photographs and asked to identify the person he saw that fateful night, Martinez becomes hostile, now convincing Mickey that Louis was the one who murdered the first woman and brutally assaulted the second. Unsure of what to do next, Mickey returns to his office and calls Maggie, letting her know that he went to visit Martinez.

He is then shocked to find Louis seated in his office. Louis, who has broken into the office, has overheard Mickey talking to Maggie and admits to both murders. After making indirect threats to harm Mickey’s daughter, Louis leaves before making it clear that Mickey has no choice but to defend him.

When Frank is found murdered, it is revealed that the murder was committed by Mickey’s own gun. Mickey is now fighting several battles. He is bound by attorney-client privilege not to reveal what he knows about Louis. He has to continue defending his guilty client. Louis has also issued cryptic threats to harm Mickey’s daughter. And finally, Louis’s powerful and rich mother will do all she can to ensure that her son is not implicated in the crime.

What follows is a cat-and-mouse game between Mickey and Louis. How can Mickey turn the tables and ensure that Louis is implicated in the crime? Of course, one can expect a dramatic courtroom scene. It is also clear that Mickey has a few cards up his sleeve.

This is clearly a McConaughey movie, and he steals the show, portraying a charming, relentless, and happy-go-lucky Mickey. Marisa Tomei also does her part, playing Mickey’s ex-wife, Maggie. The chemistry between Mickey and Maggie is excellent, making it clear that the two still have feelings for each other. Ryan Phillippe also does his part well as the homicidal and psychotic Louis. The rest of the cast also puts in fine performances.

Besides favorable reviews, the film also earned kudos from Michael Connelly, who was pleased with how the movie turned out. “The Lincoln Lawyer” is a decent thriller worth watching.