William H. Macy

  • The Maiden Heist (2009)

    ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

    (On TV, November 2022) If you swear that you’ve seen The Maiden Heist before it even concludes, that may be because the “geezer heist thriller” has become a viable subgenre in the past decade (as aging stars struggle to maintain their box-office appeal), and especially since 2017’s Going in Style shares Morgan Freeman with The Maiden Heist. Of course, it’s not quite identical—here, we have elderly security guards at a New York City art museum being distressed at the thought of their favourite masterpieces being transferred to Europe, and engineering a heist to make sure they keep it for themselves. If that doesn’t sound too noble (art should be for everyone!), well… deal with it, because it’s one of the film’s main flaws. Freeman, Christopher Walken and William H. Macy all star as the three guards conspiring to keep their favourites from emigrating, with Marcia Gay Harden playing support. Thanks to director Peter Hewitt, the result is straightforward, even if the script feels slightly undercooked and can’t do much to paper over a not-so-compelling premise. With Going in Style, the heist motivations were transparently mercenary—here, the art thing feels like a contrivance. (Take a picture, we’re tempted to say: it will last longer.)  It’s certainly watchable—but I’m not sure I’ll be able to tell it apart from other similar films in a few months.

  • The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

    The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

    ByChristian Sauvé Movie Review

    (In theatres, April 2011) There’s been a dearth of courtroom drama over the past few years, and The Lincoln Lawyer isn’t just a good return to the form, it’s about as good an adaption of Michael Connelly’s original novel as fans could have hoped for.  As with most readers of the book learning about the film’s casting, I wasn’t sold on Matthew McConaughey as protagonist-lawyer Mickey Haller: I had always envisioned Haller as more mature and cynical than McConaughey’s typical romantic-comedy laid-back persona.  So it’s a surprise to see him return to serious drama as an older, wiser, far worldlier presence, fully comfortable in the role of a professional defence lawyer operating from his chauffeur-driven car.  Brad Furman’s direction fully embraces the California-noir style of the novel, Los Angeles’ broad avenues offering as many dangers as tiny back-streets.  The cinematography is bright, sunny, energetic and compelling.  Rounding up the main cast are good supporting performances by Ryan Phillippe (detestable as always), Marisa Tomei and William H. Macy.  While the twists and turns of the plotting are familiar, they’re well-handled and make up for a refreshing legal drama that proves that execution is often more important than fresh concepts.  The Lincoln Lawyer may be less reflective about the role of defence lawyers than the book, but it still delivers enough legal manoeuvres to keep things interesting.  For some, it may be the start of a franchise (there are now three further Haller adventures on the shelves); for most, though, it’s a solid, well-paced, well-made crime drama with a cynical smirk: Exactly the kind of film that’s always welcome.