Timothy E
- Joined
- Jul 20, 2007
- Messages
- 1,518
- Real Name
- Timothy Ewanyshyn
THE LINCOLN LAWYER Blu-Ray Combo with Digital Copy
Studio: Lionsgate
Year: 2011
Rated: R
Film Length: 1 hour, 59 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1080p High Definition Widescreen (2.35:1)
Audio: English 7.1 DTS HD Master Audio
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Release Date: July 12, 2011
The Movie
The Lincoln Lawyer is Mick Haller(Matthew McConaughey), a Los Angeles lawyer who operates his office out of the back of a Ford Lincoln. Mick skates in the gray area of legal ethics as might be inferred from the style of his office. Mick finds his ethics challenged after he agrees to take a big money case defending Louis Roulet(Ryan Phillippe), a rich boy who may or may not have been framed for a crime. Mick quickly finds himself in over his head in the case of his career. Marisa Tomei plays Mick’s ex-wife Maggie and William H. Macy plays his investigator Frank Levin.
The Lincoln Lawyer is a screen adaptation of the best-selling crime thriller written by Michael Connelly. Director Brad Furman(The Take) has created films in this genre before and creates a suspenseful modern noir style for the film. The screenplay by John Romano (Intolerable Cruelty, Dark Angel) conveys the flavor of defense litigation without getting too bogged down in un-cinematic legal procedure. This is one of those legal thrillers that demands the full attention of the audience or you might get lost in the twists and turns of the plot.
The Lincoln Lawyer is an entertaining, fairly fast-moving suspense thriller, given that it has its share of courtroom scenes that can slow down the pace in these types of films. McConaughey is well cast as Mick, a slick lawyer who really has a heart. The first rate cast elevates this film, which also includes Josh Lucas(American Psycho), John Leguizamo(Gamer), Michael Pena(Shooter), Bob Gunton(The Shawshank Redemption), Frances Fisher(Titanic), and Bryan Cranston(Breaking Bad).
Video
The movie is in 1080p high definition in its original 2.35:1 screen aspect ratio. This is a better than average transfer from film. Clarity and detail of images is terrific for the most part, except for a few shots which may be deliberately lacking in contrast. There is some minor DNR and edge enhancement but nothing to distract and take one out of the film. Film grain is virtually non-existent which is consistent with the theatrical appearance of most modern films. Colors are not particularly vibrant, but not drab either, which is appropriate, and probably deliberate, to build mood and suspense for this type of film.
Audio
The English 7.1 DTS HD Master Audio is without any apparent flaws. The audio does good service to the needs of the film with some nice directional audio. Ambient sounds are handled well throughout with a few action and music sequences demonstrating the range of this mix.
Special Features
The special features are all in 1080p and include all of the following:
Making The Case: Creating The Lincoln Lawyer (13:40): This featurette includes interviews with cast and crew regarding production of the film.
Michael Connelly: At Home On The Road (10:16): Author Connelly talks about his initial concerns in translating his book to the screen and his apparent satisfaction with the result.
One on One With McConaughey and Connelly(5:28): Author Connelly conducts a brief interview of the star who plays his fictional character on screen.
Deleted Scenes: There are 4 brief scenes that may be selected individually or with the "Play All" function: Check It Out(1:14), Good Night(0:54), The Car Is Fun(1:15), and Officer Maxwell(0:44).
Trailers(10:16): This includes Conan The Barbarian, Warrior, The Next 3 Days, and The Conspirator. These trailers also play automatically after loading the BD disc.
Bookmarks: Feature allows viewers to return quickly to certain portions or clips of the film.
Digital Copy: A second disc includes the film on DVD and a digital copy for transfer to portable media devices. The DVD was not evaluated for this review.
Conclusion
The Lincoln Lawyer is a better than average legal thriller that has its fair share of action and suspense. The video and audio presentation are excellent and do good service to the film. The special features may not be comprehensive but probably will satisfy anyone who wants to know more about The Lincoln Lawyer short of reading the original book., and a DVD and digital copy of the film are included as well. Anyone who enjoys suspense thrillers on the big screen will probably find time spent with The Lincoln Lawyer to be worth the while.
