18/35
Call Mickey Haller
Scenario
Need a lawyer? He runs his law firm from his Lincoln and is ready to hit the ground running. Moving around Los Angeles, he takes cases while balancing a personal life that includes being a father and having two ex-wives. Originally created with CBS for a series commitment in 2020, it was canceled shortly before filming the first episode due to COVID. It has now been picked up by Netflix for a 10-episode first season based on Mickey Haller’s second book “The Brass Verdict.” Mickey Haller has several cars, all with personalized California license plates with legal terms on them. Personalized California plates allow a maximum of seven letters/numbers, but all of Mickey’s plates have at least eight. Referenced in Shrine of Telly: Week 3 (2022).
The background, the dialogue, the story, everything is top notch
I liked the movie, but I think I like the show more. Taking a decent movie like that and making an adaptation that surpasses it overall is a monumental undertaking. There is no doubt that they spent a fortune on this series. Don’t expect it to be exactly like the movie, because it’s not meant to be, and don’t compare it to the novels (apples and oranges). I haven’t seen the lead actor (Garcia-Rulfo) actually play a lead role in anything that I can recall, even though he has appeared in some amazing movies over the past decade. He captures this role extremely well, and I think we are seeing a long overdue opportunity for him. Amazingly, he embodies the essence of the hero lawyer that is required for this role (as did McConaughey).
She can’t not act
I think the success of the series depends on this factor alone. Neve Campbell is fantastic as always. The rest of the supporting cast is fine, IMHO. At least, they don’t necessarily detract from the experience. It’s been years since we’ve had a law show as spectacular as The Practice (David E. Kelley), Boston Legal (David E. Kelley), Ally McBeal (David E.
Kelley), The Good Wife (not Kelley), now The Lincoln Lawyer (David E
Kelley). If this one can stand the test of time like all his previous courtroom dramas, it would transcend anything currently on the air (in this genre, of course). The first 30 minutes had me feeling the same emotions I remember all those years ago. Back then, we could only watch one episode a week when they came out, but now in the age of binge watching, I can absorb that whole thing in a weekend. I’ve spent a good portion of my life with all of David E. Kelley’s creations/productions and I don’t regret a moment of my wasted youth. The only question I have is, why did they wait so long to make another great one?
Do we smell like the fucking police here?
Sure, but that’s part of today’s culture, and like it or not, the organism that is the entertainment industry is married to that “culture.” Accept it and move on, otherwise you’re denying yourself some of the indulgences you deserve, like The Lincoln Lawyer. Entertainment Value: 9. Acting: 6. Writing: 7. Cinematography: 8. Average: 7.5.