When I added The Lincoln Lawyer to my Netflix queue I didn't know anything about it other than that the movie starred Matthew McConaughey. When I popped the DVD in today I wasn't sure what to expect.
I loved the movie right off the bat because one of my favorite songs "Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City" played during the opening credits. The rendition I'm addicted to is a duet by Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige for MTV Unplugged. This version was by Bobby Blue Bland. The whole soundtrack had a funk, neo-soul vibe that I was totally digging. The soundtrack includes "Music" by Erick Sermon and Marvin Gaye, "107 Degress" by Citizen Cope and "California Soul" by Marlena Shaw and Ya Boy. You can check out the full soundtrack on iTunes.
The plot of the film centers around Matthew McConaughey's character Mick, who is the Linoln lawyer. That's his nickname because he has a driver who takes him around town in a black, Lincoln town car with a license plate that reads "NTGUILTY". Mick is charming, charismatic and damn good at his job. He's also a recovering alcholic, still sleeps with his ex-wife and takes on some unsavory clients.
Mick's life takes a dramatic turn for the worse when he finds himself representing an evil criminal, Louis, played by Ryan Phillippe. Phillippe plays the bratty rich kid part perfectly.
The list of hot leading men continues! The D.A. is played by Josh Lucas (best known for his role as Reese Witherspoon's high school sweatheart in Sweet Home Alabama), Mick's private investigator is played by William H. Macy and the chief of police is played by Bryan Cranston of Breaking Bad. Marisa Tomei represents the ladies as Mick's ex-wife. Talk about an all star cast!
The Lincoln Lawyer felt more like a two hour episode of Law & Order than it did an original movie. Instead of a complete story with a beginning, middle and end, it felt like a short peak into the lives of these characters you'd expect to visit again a week from now. I enjoyed it, but it left me wanting more.
Skip the movie and download the soundtrack instead. I've had my head bobbing all day.
