Walking in to the movies this weekend, I had two thoughts:

1. Is The Lincoln Lawyer going to be just like Primal Fear (1996, starring Richard Gere and Edward Norton – great movie, rent it!)
2. Can I envision Matthew McConaughey in a serious movie, where he wears a full shirt?

Fortunately these were answered by the end of the movie. Let’s take a closer look.

Movie: The Lincoln Lawyer

Rating: R

Release date: March 18, 2011

Everyday Adventures’ grade: B

Summary: Mick Heller (Matthew McConaughey) is a “street lawyer” (I don’t know what actually falls under the description) who works from the backseat of his Lincoln, trolling around town helping the morally questionable. Bad a**. He’s a hot shot until he takes Louis Roulet’s case (a sexy Ryan Phillippe) and things aren’t quite what they seem. I always knew Ryan Phillippe’s baby face would be trouble.

My thoughts: The main thing I learned from this movie: I need friends that are in a biker gang (more on that later.)

The Lincoln Lawyer is a really good trailer that becomes a pretty good movie. I compared this a lot to Primal Fear because it had the same setup: hot shot lawyer who is given a reality check by some angelic face kid through several twists and turns. But that’s pretty much where it ends. Primal Fear was a true shocker that kept peeling away layers of the story like an onion. The Lincoln Lawyer tries to do that but stumbles along due to a large, mostly A/B-List supporting cast who has to be stuffed in the movie for face time.

Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe and William H. Macy are great but we don’t seen enough of them because we have to make room for Michael Pena, John Leguizamo, Frances Fisher and Josh Lucas (still hot.) Honestly, we don’t get to see enough of any of these people, the only reason we do is because of Matthew McConaughey, who weaves them all together. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but McConaughey isn’t awful in this movie. It’s nice to see him refer back to his “A Time To Kill” role years ago, when he was a breakout star and wasn’t buried in bad rom-com movies (cough, Fools Gold, cough.) There are times when he refers back to chiches but it’s not awful. And Phillippe continues to do strong work in a supporting role. He does really well in an ensemble cast and can pull off a really evil, scary look very well. Gives me the creeps (which it should!)

There are a lot of plot twists and turns in this story, and sadly, I think there about 1-3 too many. There were several times I thought the movie was over, only to find out it wasn’t, and then the scenario was repeated. I’m more of a quality over quantity person but that’s just me. I also didn’t find the “resolution” very satisfying but I guess it made sense, biker group inclusion and all.

Verdict: Pretty good, daytime showing or Netflix/Redbox recommended.

Have you seen the movie? If so, what did you think?

Whoops, forgot to post this last week. While the weather was sucky in Chicago, I decided to hit the theaters and see the other movie I’ve had my eye on lately, Cedar Rapids. Since Ed Helms isn’t hilarious on The Office, mostly because the show isn’t, I was curious to see if he could be moving in to a Steve Carrell-like movie career.

Movie: Cedar Rapids

Rating: R

Release date: February 11, 2011

Everyday Adventures’ grade: C+

Summary: Tim Lippe (Ed Helms) proudly lives in Brown Valley, WI (woo Wisconsin!) selling insurance. But Tim’s not really a go-getter. In fact, sheltered and socially awkward would best describe him. But now, he’s off to an insurance salesmen conference in the bustling mecca of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where shenanigans ensue.

My thoughts: It wasn’t bad, but I  really thought this was going to be better. Being from the Midwest and having spent time in smaller town, I could find some of the nuances funny. The aw-shucks Tim character, naive and sheltered by living in a small town his entire life. In fact, he still lives in his childhood home and likely bed. It’s somewhat endearing to see that but also, it’s indirectly making fun of him for laughs. That, I didn’t enjoy.

The real action starts when Tim arrives in Cedar Rapids and befriends other restrained yet wild insurance agents (John C. Reilly, Anne Heche and Isiah Whitlock Jr) who help bring Tim out of his shell and support him as he learns the real consequences of his actions. Of this group, John C. Reilly is the real stand-out. His character is outlandish but he plays it really well, even if it gets a little annoying after a while. Ed Helms plays a more reserved version of his Hangover character, Stu, but it works on him.

I always love seeing Arrested Development cast in movies too and Alia Shawkat (Maebe) makes an appearance, which leads the story on a completely awry turn. Really, her character wasn’t necessary, but at that point, it brought the story back around.

I think Ed Helms will continue to have a strong movie career during and after The Office and hopefully as he grows, he will show a little more range. But the man can still deliver.

Verdict: Netflix it. No need to run and see it in theaters.

What were your thoughts?