web
counter
 

Matthew McConaughey Is Best When He Owns His Sleaze

By Dustin Rowles | Posted Under Trailers | Comments (8)



matthew-mcconaughey1016-169319.jpg

My all time favorite Matthew McConaughey role (and one of the few McConaughey roles I can even stand besides Dazed and Confused) was his character in A Time to Kill, his break-out film. McConaughey is best as a lawyer because it brings out his sleaze, and all the best male lawyers have a little bit of sleaze in them (see our own Seth Freilich and The Boozehound), while the better female lawyers have a reservoir of bitch from which to pull (see Mrs. Pajiba-hyphenate in a court room).

Brad Furman’s Lincoln Lawyer is the only kind of character that McConaughey should be playing: A seedy, greedy defense attorney with just enough of a consciousness to make him a little likable. The movie, based on a Michael Connelly best seller, sports a pretty decent overall cast, too: Marisa Tomei (who finally gets to sleep with a decent looking guy), William H. Macy, Ryan Phillipe, and Josh Lucas, who does holier than thou sleazy pretty goddamn well, too.

It’s hard to get a feel for how good the movie might be from the trailer, but I do like the occasional legal thriller.









Each Time You Like, Share, Tweet or Stumble a Pajiba Post, An Angel Does the Paul Rudd Dance



First Image Of Judge Dredd | Karl Urban Really Is The Law | Doctor Who Christmas Special Trailer | The Ghost of Christmas Past









Comments

I like Ryan Phillippe, but I hate Matthew McConaughey when he's not onscreen in Frailty. I don't know if any of those actors in the film can neutralize the McConaughey factor for me, unless a twist occurs real early where someone whacks him upside the head with a shovel into an open grave. But then we're back at Frailty again, aren't we?

Posted by: Robert at November 22, 2010 9:53 AM

Weird, when I read this book, I thought "Josh Lucas" as the lead character. I guess I wasn't that far off.

Posted by: Sean at November 22, 2010 9:59 AM

Josh Lucas was probably considered for the lead role, but because of a childhood accident, he is physically unable to take his shirt off with aplomb. Thus, they called in an expert.

Posted by: e at November 22, 2010 12:29 PM

"with just enough of a consciousness to make him a little likable"

Consciousness? So like... people in comas are just inherently unlikable then? Get it together, Rowles.

Posted by: Jeff Gray at November 22, 2010 2:27 PM

"self consciousness," jeff?

Michael Connelly, who watched this being filmed, gave MM his stamp of approval as Mickey Haller. And MM has done a kickass conflicted attorney before.

I have my fingers and toes crossed that this excellent novel gets the treatment it deserves. And Ryan Phillippe playing a smooth, swarmy playboy is a natural, you'll have to admit. I say that as one of his fans.

Posted by: Patricia at November 22, 2010 4:01 PM

Patricia, don't correct someone who's right.

Jeff, put your grammar / spelling comments in a private email.

Peter G, do some fucking work.

Posted by: Peter G at November 22, 2010 6:56 PM

This looked meh until the gun pull/nod at the end...now I want to see it.

Posted by: aidan at November 22, 2010 7:01 PM

Mrs. , LOOOOOVES her some legal thrillers. This was the first trailer that played when we saw "The Next Three Days" yesterday, and I could smell her falling into its grip.

Posted by: , at November 23, 2010 11:00 AM