The Lincoln Lawyer Review

This thriller, based on the novel by Michael Connelly was absolutely mind blowing for almost two hours. As a fan of Connelly, the first thing I have to say is Brad Furman did a great job of not missing any of the important facts from the book.

Mickey Haller, played by Matthew McConaughey, is a lawyer who conducts business out of his Lincoln Town Car. His driver, a former client, gets Haller whatever he needs and gets him where he needs to go.

Ryan Phillippe played Louis Roulet, a man arrested for allegedly beating a prostitute, seeks counsel from Haller to get him off. I don’t think any other actor could have fit the role better than Phillippe, but back to the review, as the movie continues, a series of events lead Haller to question his client and whether he may be an innocent man, because, “There’s no client as scary as an innocent man.”

Haller’s ex-wife, Maggie McFierce (Marisa Tomei) was originally assigned to the Roulet case before Haller became the lawyer. The two showed great on-screen chemistry and had great interactions together.
Roulet’s mother Mary Windsor (Frances Fisher) did great in what little spots she had. Her facial expressions when Haller basically kicked her out of the office were priceless.

I’ve never been too good at picking Oscar movies, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see McConaughey receive recognition next year, or even Phillippe in a supporting role.

Overall, I’d give this movie 5 out of 5, and would suggest everyone who liked the movie and enjoys action books, to pick up a copy of this thriller. It is definitely worth the price of admission.

Heavy Rain: In a Class of its Own

By Hobson Lopes
Heavy Rain, created by Quantic Dream for the Playstation 3 video game console, is an incredible drama that puts you in the driver’s seat of the entire story. The developers went beyond the normal methods in creating this game.
The game starts off with what is essentially a tutorial that shows all the controller actions needed during game play. They used different movements and motions with the controller that set this game apart from any other. The first couple of levels start off the story line while allowing you to learn the controls. The controls are easy to get used to, but at times can be difficult to perform.
Heavy Rain puts you on the search for The Origami Killer. The game puts you in control of four unconnected characters that are all after the same thing. You may play as FBI agent Norman Jayden, private investigator Scott Shelby, journalist Madison Paige, and architect Ethan Mars. Every level, you take control of a different character in their hunt. Mars’ son is the latest victim of the Origami Killer. He has been kidnapped and they only have until six inches of rain has fallen in the city before he turns up dead.
Every move and decision you make during the game leads you in one of four possible endings. You really never know where you’ll wind up. With each level, the opportunity to unlock trophies is available, and you can unlock extra material.
The fight sequences seen in this game are not your typical video game sequences. Precise timing of performing the action called for on the screen during the fight is the only way to win. Hand eye coordination is a big factor in game play. As you move through the game, there is a fight sequence involving Madison Paige which was intense to say the least. It was possibly the most entertaining fight scene I have seen in a video game in a long time. The dualshock 3 controller is vital to fulfilling the optimum playing feel. The SIXAXIS motion sensor in the controller really adds to the game play.
If you’re a fan of shoot-em-up games, this game may not be for you. For most of the game guns aren’t used. The way the game was written and designed, I don’t think the lack of gun use makes a difference here.
This release is the most unique Playstation 3 game on the market today. It is for gamers who love action games, and for gamers who wouldn’t be able to play Call of Duty. Overall, between the unique controls, incredible dialogue and drama, and the ability to put the ending in the hands of the gamer, this is a must play for everyone. 5 out of 5 Tammy’s!

Law Abiding Citizen: Action packed from beginning to end

By Hobson Lopes

Anchor Bay Entertainment’s recent DVD release “Law Abiding Citizen,” starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler is an action packed movie about a man who had his family taken away from him during a home invasion. That man, Clyde Shelton (Butler) is on a mission to find out what is actually right about the American judicial system. Nick Rice (Foxx) was an upstart hotshot district attorney at the time of the home invasion. He makes a deal with one of the invaders, Clarence Darby (Christian Stolte) the man who actually put the knife in Shelton’s wife, and took the daughter away, to get out of jail after five years.
As the movie fast forwards ten years, we are about to witness the pain free lethal injection of Darby’s partner, Rupert Ames, when the execution goes wrong. The police find evidence at the scene leading them to Darby, but their investigation of Darby leads them back to Shelton. Shelton masterminds a plot throughout the movie to dismiss anyone who may have wronged him ten years earlier. You won’t believe where this roller coaster will take you as Nick Rice and Clyde Shelton battle to see who is truly smarter.
Since this is the DVD review, we need to talk about the special features. “The Justice of Law Abiding Citizen” is a great feature that shows how realistic the movie turned out. Former district attorney’s appeared in this feature to discuss the ins and outs of the case, and shows how much research was done during development of the movie to make sure everything is accurate. “Law in Black and White” was a great behind the scenes extra feature. This feature showed real conversations between the actors and directors on making improvements to the movie. There was also a visual effects feature that a lot could have been done with considering how much action there was in the film. Overall, I would give the movie 4 ½ out of 5 star's, and the bonus features 4 out of 5 star's.