The Lincoln Lawyer begins filming

The Lincoln Lawyer March 18

Directed by Brad Furman ( The Take ) Starring Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, William H. Macy, Ryan Phillipe, John Leguizamo and Michael Pena. Lukas Ettlin ( Fanboys, Shrink ) is providing the cinematography.

Not to be confused with the same premise of the Robert Redford court room drama about the Lincoln assassination film out later this year, this film is based off the best selling novel by Michael Connelly about a moderately successful criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller ( McConaughey ) operates all around the large area of Los Angeles county out of a Lincoln Town Car driven by a former client working off his legal fees (hence the title); most of his clients are drug dealers and gangsters, but the book deals with an unusually important case: the wealthy Los Angeles realtor Louis Roulet is accused of assault and attempted murder by a woman, and at first he appears to be innocent and set up by the "victim".

But Roulet's lies and many surprising revelations tear Mickey's theory of the case to shreds, making Mickey reconsider the situation of Jesus Menendez, a former client who's now languishing in San Quentin State Prison after pleading guilty to a similar and mysteriously related crime.

In the end, Haller is able to outmaneuver Roulet (revealed as a villain), without violating his ethical obligations, free the innocent Menendez, and continue in legal practice.