As a fan of McConaughey, I quickly warmed to his character's cunning swagger as a hot-shot defense attorney. At first, he coolly runs through the errands of his profession in a nonchalant regard with a money-first concentration. But the passion for his work (despite the flaws of the justice system) comes out as the plot develops and he portrays it strongly. He's a likable character. Overall, the performance feels natural, realistic and relaxed as he is stretched to his breaking point. As a lawyer seeking to figure out the truth, McConaughey does well portraying the facial meditation.The plot sort of veers off prematurely in a complex manner quite quickly, but as long as you're paying attention, you shouldn't get too lost by the sudden flow of the legal rhetoric or the sweeping transitions (which are a vague distraction). The film has a rocky start, but picks up with interest.
The input by Marisa Tomei is refreshing as she rides smoothly off her sultry role in The Wrestler. Also, as a fan of their acting, I appreciated Josh Lucas's (Glory Road) and John Leguizamo's small roles. Meanwhile, Ryan Phillipe is no longer the young boyish hottie I remember and he feels miscast in this picture, unlike his other more comfortable serious role in Breach.
The film prospers from the elements of mystery that can be found in any standard legal thriller, which as a fan of the genre appeases me much. It also has a raw dark atmosphere, offers a vicious view of the legal system's hypocrisies and benefits from solid dialogue.
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