What is it with Matthew McConaughey and lawyers? With the exception of the underrated Frailty and his hilarious turn in Tropic Thunder, McConaughey seems unable to deliver a decent performance without resorting to some variation of the high-powered attorney he has played in everything from A Time To Kill to Amistad. His newest legal thriller, The Lincoln Lawyer, is an above-average potboiler blessed with a first-rate cast and a refreshingly retro soundtrack that harkens back to the heyday of 1970s police procedurals.

 The film, based on Michael Connelly’s bestseller, centers on Mick Holler (McConaughey), a silver-tongued criminal defender who operates out of the backseat of his vintage Lincoln Town Car. His client roster mainly consists of call-girls, biker gangs and other less saintly denizens of the City of Angels. The plot kicks in when Mick is employed by Louis Roulet (Ryan Philippe), a Beverly Hills playboy charged with brutally assaulting a hooker. Intrigued by his high-class client’s claims of innocence, Mick delves deeper into the case and quickly finds himself embroiled in a devious conspiracy.

 Since modern audiences are well versed in every plot twist a story like this can offer, films like The Lincoln Lawyer tend to live or die by their casting savvy alone. Thankfully, Brad Furman has populated his film with a rich bevy of character actors to liven things up.

 William H. Macy provides the laughs as a closeted gumshoe while Marisa Tomei smolders as a local prosecutor who doubles as Mick’s ex-wife with benefits. Even the great Bryan Cranston makes the most of his all-too-brief appearance as a perpetually peeved homicide detective. And McConaughey, with his drawling magnetism, proves himself a capable leading man when freed from the shackles of his dismal romantic comedies. Is a restraining order too much to hope for?

3/4 stars