简介
布拉德·福尔曼
马修·麦康纳玛丽莎·托梅瑞恩·菲利普威廉姆·H·梅西约翰·雷吉扎莫迈克尔·佩纳凯瑟琳·莫宁布莱恩·科兰斯顿
电影
美国
2011
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故事讲述洛杉矶刑事辩护律师米奇·豪勒（马修·麦康纳 Matthew McConaughey 饰），绰号“林肯律师”，经手的都是些处于社会底层的客户。他善恶分明、正直守信，并非贪财小人。然而这一次，豪勒的辩护对像是年轻富有的房地产开发商路易斯-罗莱特（瑞恩·菲利普 Rya n Phillippe 饰）。罗莱特受到的指控是殴打并企图强奸应招女郎瑞琪（玛格丽塔-莱维瓦 Margarita Levieva 饰），但罗莱特声称自己是无辜的，有人栽赃陷害他。罗莱特的母亲愿意不惜重金证明自己心爱儿子的清白。为了解案情的细节，豪勒及其私人调查员对此案进行了调查。他们最初获得的证据证明罗莱特似乎确实无辜，这个案子能够轻而易举地打赢，豪勒也能够轻松地获得一笔高额的律师费。然而，一个偶然的机会使豪勒发现，此案与他曾经接手的另一桩强奸杀人案有诸多相似之处……
Moderately successful criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller (Matthew McConaughey) operates around Los Angeles County out of a Lincoln Town Car driven by a former client working off his legal fees (hence the title). Haller has spent most of his career defending garden-variety criminals, until he lands the case of his career: Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), a Beverly Hills playboy and son of real estate mogul Mary Windsor (Frances Fisher), who is accused of the brutal beating of a prostitute. But the seemingly straightforward case suddenly develops into a deadly game of survival for Haller.
Roulet is seemingly innocent and was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Haller and his investigator Frank Levin (William H. Macy) analyze the pictures and evidence, notably the injuries the victim sustained. It bears a similarity to a past case of Haller's that landed a previous client, Jesús Martínez (Michael Peña), in jail for murdering a woman, despite always proclaiming his innocence.
Haller spends time with his ex-wife, prosecutor Maggie McPherson (Marisa Tomei), who has never appreciated Haller's efforts on behalf of guilty criminals when he ought to be trying to put them behind bars. All his clients claim to be innocent, but Haller begins to wonder if he should have tried harder on behalf of Martinez instead of convincing him to plead guilty in exchange for avoiding the death penalty.
In prison, Martínez becomes agitated when Haller shows him Roulet's picture. Haller begins to suspect that Roulet could be the real killer in the Martínez case, but bound by attorney-client confidentiality rules, he cannot tell the police what he has learned.
Levin is mysteriously killed after leaving a voicemail message claiming that he has found Martínez's ticket out of jail. Haller is suspected of killing Levin because a collector's gun missing from his house was used to kill Levin, a gun that Haller believes was taken by Roulet after the latter broke into Haller's home.
Obliged to do his best for his client, guilty or not, Haller ruthlessly cross-examines the beaten prostitute and discredits her in the jury's eyes. After a prison informant lies to the prosecution on the witness stand, the defense moves to dismiss all charges in the current case. Roulet is set free, delighting his mother, but the police then arrest Roulet immediately for the previous murder case, based upon testimony Haller coaxed out of the witness.
Haller acquires a gun from his driver, Earl (Laurence Mason), as a precaution against any retribution he may face. Roulet is released due to lack of evidence and sets out immediately to kill Haller's wife and child, but Haller finds out in time to get them out of the house. He is waiting as Roulet arrives and draws his gun. Roulet mockingly tells Haller he won't be able to guard his family this way every day. But a group of bikers that Haller has previously represented brutally assaults Roulet.
Upon arriving home, Haller discovers Roulet's mother inside. She shoots him with his own gun, the same one that killed Frank, confessing that she committed that murder. Haller, wounded, kills her with his new gun.
After being discharged from the hospital, Haller discovers that Frank had found a parking ticket issued to Roulet near the house of the murdered victim, which constitutes strong evidence against Roulet in his pending murder trial. Martínez will be released, and Haller rides off to his next case.
