LINCOLN LAWYER by Tallbrey

I, like Cochese, am a rookie-noob when it comes to blogging. It is an understatement that I LOVE movies. I would rather go to the theatre than almost anywhere else. There is something magical about sitting on that front row of the stadium section, in the "most middled" comfy chair, with a rail in front of me. (so I can kick up my ginormous feet and relax) I unload my smuggled goodies, as there is no way I will ever pay for full-price concessions. Cue the previews, and it's time for 2-3 hours of undisturbed ignoring of the outside world, frustrations, worries, or anything else.


On to my review of LINCOLN LAWYER-
Niche actors tend to drive me bonkers. Certain thespians have painted themselves into one specific corner role that they reprise repeatedly, to the chagrin of movie-goers with a brain. Matthew McConaughey, in recent years, has led the charge into shirtless battle. Few actors create such a polar response from me. The ladies love him, but typically, I believe their love is wrapped up in his washboard abs and Texan drawl, and much less with his talent. I have a theory that if Brad Pitt were NOT so good looking, he would have at least two Oscars over his fireplace. (Legends of the Fall, Benjamin Button, SE7EN, 12 Monkeys- Pick any two for the win) The converse of this theory- If Mattie McConaughey wasn't such a looker, the average theatre attendee wouldn't think much of his ability.


Test me on this- His career has had a few smashing moments of acting brilliance. Among them, A Time To Kill, Amistad, U-571, and I will even throw in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. However, McConaughey has peppered his career with (and I'm not going to bring up or blame him for anything he was in prior to A Time to Kill, as this film arguably got him B+ status. I refuse to give him A status) Contact, EdTV, Wedding Planner, Reign of Fire, Sahara, Failure to Launch, Fool's Gold, Surfer Dude, Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, and Two For the Money. Now, of the above mentioned romantic-"comedies," maybe one or two of them would stand alone as borderline enjoyment. However, he plays the same character. I think that in each "comantic" movie he's made, they should have just given him the same character name, like they are all sequels of each other.


LINCOLN LAWYER poked a hole in my theory. I'm man enough to admit it. Matthew McConaughey, I'd like to formally apologize to you. I thoroughly enjoyed your most recent film, despite my predictions walking in. 
He was fantastic. McConaughey plays Mick Haller, Defense Attorney to the obviously guilty. He specializes in finding the loopholes in the American Justice System to gain freedom or reduced sentences for scumbags. He is haughty, self-important, and arguably a semi-functional alcoholic. This is the first movie in recent memory in which Matthew did not play the pretty-boy all the way through. His performance was gritty, authentic, and altogether believable.


***No SPOILERS- The storyline focuses around one central case. A high profile trust-fund social elitist, Louis Roulet, (Ryan Phillippe) is arrested for allegedly attacking and raping a high-end call girl. McConaughey works from his mobile law office, in the back seat of his Lincoln, as he has lost his license for unknown reasons.


The supporting cast was great. Marisa Tomei plays Maggie McPherson, the Prosecuting Attorney in the case, who coincidentally is Haller's ex-wife and mother of his daughter. William H. Macy plays Frank Levin, an ex-cop who is currently a Private Investigator for Haller. John Leguizamo plays the fast-talking Bail Bondsman, and is significantly underrated. I find that he is almost always fantastic. Bryan Cranston, Trace Adkins, Laurence Mason, and Josh Lucas all play small roles, but are pivotal to the film.


My only caveat for this film... Mick Haller is terrified of the idea that he would ever let an innocent man go to prison. It is a huge underlying theme of the movie. He sees the importance of seeking true justice in  freeing a wrongfully convicted client. He wrestles with a huge moral dilemma.
However, ***Borderline spoiler*** After the outcome of the big case, he goes back to being the same seedy lawyer, seeking to get the highest bidders out of trouble. Instead of rethinking who he represents as his change of moral grounds, he decides to represent a scumbag pro-bono as the big change of heart. 


Overall, I give LINCOLN LAWYER a solid A-.


***Disagree with me? Totally agree? Think I'm an idiot? That's awesome. We want to hear from you.
Tallbrey

PAUL by Cochese

When in the course of human events, there comes a time to find a profound way to begin one's first blog post.  Now that I've knocked that one out of the park, time to move on to my first movie review.

Paul, starring the now legendary Seth Rogen, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost, and directed by the now legendary Greg Mottola, is basically E.T. for grown ups.  I'm not one for divulging the entire plot in a movie review, so I'll leave it at that.  That's basically it anyway.

Seth Rogen, love him or hate him for what he did to Green Hornet, delivers his usual I'm-just-gonna-play-Seth-Rogen bit.  Like it or not, the man is funny.  The irony (and I'm a big fan of irony) is that even though he's voicing the titular CGI alien, when thrown in with this cast of characters, he pretty much plays the straight man.  He's the Abbot to their collective Costello.  Rogen is no stranger to voicing such characters, having done Kung Fu Panda, Monsters Vs. Aliens, Spiderwick Chronicles, Horton Hears a Who, and Shrek the Third, so he knows how to play it right.  And the laughs are definitely steady.  Much like Rogen, Pegg and Frost play Pegg and Frost with their usual ambiguously gay antics (see Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz).  But make no mistake, when Pegg and Frost play Pegg and Frost, that's when the magic happens.  I feel like I'm just hanging out with them in their living room, laughing at everything they say.  By the time Paul showed up, I had forgotten there was going to be anyone else in the movie.  The rest of the cast is rich, with the likes of Jason Bateman, a "hidden" Sigourney Weaver (revealed in the final scene as though we had no idea it was her voice we were hearing the entire time like Charlie talking to his Angels), and Mottola regulars Bill Hader and Joe Lo Truglio as the token bumbling cops.  But the shining star is Kristen Wiig.  Mark my words people:  Wiig is the Carol Burnett of this generation.  She's only getting started.  Watching her character learn to eagerly and awkwardly break free of her oppressive father and live in the real world is comic gold.  Nobody plays eager awkwardness better.

However..

There is one dark blot on this otherwise hilarious movie that keeps me from giving it a completely good review.  Part of what Kristen Wiig's character is breaking free from is her zealous belief in God, which Paul's existence somehow disproves.  Let me explain myself.  Perhaps I should be, but I'm not the type to get offended every time movies insult Christianity.  I get it.  You've got your platform, you're making your played out, cliche'ed statement.  It's hip to down-talk Christianity in movies.  But in this case, it was blatant, direct, and even cheesy, all because of one ridiculous scene.  (SPOILER ALERT...I guess)  Paul, in a typical sweet moment at the end of the movie, apologizes for scaring Wiig's character and shaking her faith, and Wiig replies, (get ready) "You didn't scare me...you set me free."  It was an odd moment of simultaneous heart sinking and eyes rolling.

I did laugh.  A lot.  And it was a great Pegg/Wright buddy movie.  Without the aforementioned blot, I would have easily given it an A-.  Lots of laughs, lots of heart.  But I just can't think back on it without first thinking of that one final scene.  So I can't give it better than a flat C, all things considered.  Sorry, Paul.

By Cochese