The Lincoln Lawyer

Happily, this film is surprisingly satisfying, and part of the reason is that for once McConaughey isn't coasting by on his good looks. It's been a long time since McConaughey reminded audiences that he's more than a tan body with amazing abs. OK, so there was his humorous supporting role in Tropic Thunder and his decent fantasy thriller Reign of Fire, but you have to go all the way back to the late '90s to see why he made such a stir. As Mick, McConaughey is smart and very good at what he does, but he's also lonely, paying the price of defending the indefensible for so many years. McConaughey looks appropriately awful at times -- he's grieving, haunted, and drunk for the second half of The Lincoln Lawyer -- and it works, strangely enough.

The movie also benefits from a host of veteran supporting actors, from Oscar winner Marisa Tomei as Mick's prosecutor ex-wife to Phillippe as the rich boy with an attitude to the excellent Macy as Mick's PI/best friend. Leguizamo's over-caffeinated delivery is always good for a laugh, and underrated indie actor Michael Peña gives a scene-stealing performance as Mick's former client who's serving a life sentence for a crime he may not have committed. (Seeing oft-compared-to-McConaughey actor Josh Lucas as the cocky state prosecutor is a bit of a mind game, since the two actors were once considered Hollywood doppelgangers.) The twists aren't exactly Presumed Innocent-sized, but they're compelling enough to keep you interested, and with so many good actors walking around, this is one McConaughey movie worth checking out.