Dallas Buyers Club & The Lincoln Lawyer: A Review of McConaughey’s Top Films

By Miguel Mike Medina

Photo Credit: JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images

It’s Matthew McConaughey week. The Academy Award-winning actor turned 56 yesterday. He is known for delivering impeccable performances in movies and shows such as The Lincoln Lawyer, Mud, Dallas Buyers Club, The Wolf of Wall Street, Interstellar, and True Detective (Season 1).

McConaughey had an impeccable run from 2011 through 2016. Here’s the movie review for films such as Dallas Buyers Club and The Lincoln Lawyer.

Dallas Buyers Club – Review

2013 was Matthew’s MVP year. His dedication to lose an excessive amount of weight to portray Ron Woodroff is incredible. The story is about the real-life story of electrician Ron Woodroof, who contracted AIDS during the mid-1980s in Dallas, Texas. He was stunned and told by the doctors that he only had 30 days left to live.

However, Woodroof refused to believe that and went above and beyond to travel to different countries to find medication to help him and others to live longer with the disease. Woodroof, alongside another AIDS patient named Rayon, played by Jared Leto.

Jennifer Garner plays Dr Eve Saks. Garner does a great job in every scene with Ron Woodruff. Her character is strict and straightforward, but she’s also compassionate and understanding, especially in the second half of the movie.

As great as the performances were, it is a movie that’s not for everyone. The Dallas Buyers Club has strong Pervasive Language and sexual content—Fast-forward through several parts of the film.

The best actor category that year was marked by intense competition. Leonardo DiCaprio could’ve won for his performance in The Wolf of Wall Street. The same thing could be said about Chiwetel Ejafor in 12 Years A Slave, but this was Matthew’s time to shine, and his performance was astonishing.

Dallas Buyers Club was nominated for 6 Academy Awards, winning Best Actor (Mathew McConaughey) and Best Supporting Actor (Jared Leto). Philadelphia and Dallas Buyers Club are two hard-hitting films about the subject of HIV/AIDS. It’s a must-see film, and anyone can learn about the seriousness of this disease.

Overall Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars

The Lincoln Lawyer – Review

It’s an entertaining and gripping crime/thriller legal drama featuring a strong cast, including McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy, Bryan Cranston, and John Leguizamo.

The story centers on Mick Haller, a charismatic defense attorney who conducts his business out of his Lincoln Continental sedan. Mick spends most of his time defending petty crooks and other bottom-feeders.

Haller represents Louis Roulet, who is accused of attempted murder. Roulet presents as the villain in this movie. Every scene featuring Haller and Roulet is epic, especially in the movie’s final 30 minutes. Haller is brilliant as a lawyer and knows many connections. He’s always ten steps ahead.

The Lincoln Lawyer is one of those films where you have to see it more than once. It keeps you engaged, and the writing is clever. There are major twists, and to a certain extent, it avoids clichés. John Romano, a veteran in the Hollywood industry, wrote the script. Romano has written for successful shows such as Hill Street Blues, LA Law, Party of Five, Monk, etc.

Mickey Haller’s character is fantastic. Matthew played this role exceptionally well and delivered one of his best performances of the career. Love the charisma and no BS attitude.

Tomei’s character as Maggie McPherson couldn’t have been more developed in the story, but she does a solid job with the screen time that she received. Her scenes with Mickey were good.

Overall Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars

Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com

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