Michael “Mickey” Haller (McConaughey) conducts business in Los Angeles County from the back seat of a Lincoln Town Car driven by Earl (Laurence Mason), a former client working off his legal fees.

Haller is a smooth operator who relies on his street smarts to make sure he always gets payment up front for the legal services rendered. Although his license plate reads NTGUILTY, his clients, consisting of drug dealers, bikers, gangsters and prostitutes, never seem to merit that verdict. He tries hard to avoid lengthy trials and prefers to cut slick plea bargain deals for the scum he represents.

Mickey gets a referral from a bail bondsman (John Leguizamo from “Moulin Rouge!”) of a wealthy Realtor named Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe from “Flags of Our Fathers”). Roulet is accused of badly beating a known prostitute. Roulet claims he was set up by the woman, who saw this as an opportunity for a lucrative payday from a spoiled, rich playboy in a subsequent civil lawsuit. Roulet has ulterior motives for wanting to go to trial as quickly as possible.

Mickey initially thinks his client is innocent, but evidence dug up by his private investigator colleague (William H. Macy from “Seabiscuit” and “Fargo”) reveals glaring similarities to an earlier case involving former client Jesus Martinez (Michael Pena from “World Trade Center” and “Crash”). Martinez is serving a life sentence for the murder of another prostitute.

The film plays out like a primo episode of “Perry Mason.” Screenwriter John Romano (“Nights in Rodanthe,” “Hill Street Blues,” “L.A. Law” and “Monk”) stays faithful to Connelly’s brilliantly written novel. The solid storytelling hinges on the confidentiality associated with the attorney-client privilege. There are many twists and turns to get to the bottom of whodunit. The wham bam ending ties up all the loose threads and will satisfy those interested in seeing justice served.

A host of supporting characters is introduced. They include Mickey’s ex-wife Maggie (Marisa Tomei from “The Wrestler” and “My Cousin Vinny”); Mickey’s secretary/receptionist Lorna (Pell James); the county prosecutor (Josh Lucas from “Glory Road” and “Sweet Home Alabama”), a police detective (Bryan Cranston); Roulet’s mother (Frances Fisher); and Roulet’s family attorney (Bob Gunton).

This looks like the start of a recurring series and an ongoing engagement for McConaughey, who perfectly embodies the characteristics of Connelly’s protagonist. The sexy Tomei only gives us a sneak peek of the future romance possibilities. Macy looks like a modern-day Buffalo Bill Cody with his long hair and bushy mustache. Lucas does a good job filling the shoes of a prosecutor. He gets egg on his face when he doesn’t already know the answers to the questions he asks the testifying witnesses. Pena is convincing in the most dramatic scenes where he continuously maintains his innocence. Shea Whigham nearly pulls the rug out from all the other performers with a late scene-stealing appearance on the witness stand playing a jailhouse snitch.

Director Brad Furman doesn’t do the story any favors with the made-for-TV production values. The hand-held camera spins around in a circle while McConaughey presents his arguments in court. The oversaturated color palette seems showy and unnecessary. The use of a split screen over the opening credits is an irritating distraction. The redeeming features of the crew include a lively rap soundtrack that fits the mood and good use of the Los Angeles background locations.

There is never a dull moment during the two-hour running time. The best compliment has to be that the film comes close to mirroring the page-turning suspense of the source material. If you need a break from college basketball during March Madness, this entertaining murder mystery/courtroom drama should be on your agenda.

Review By:
Keith Cohen "The Movie Guy"