The Lincoln Lawyer and Limitless (both 2011)

The recent dramas “The Lincoln Lawyer” and “Limitless” follow two men undergoing massive, life-altering changes: The former follows a scum bucket defense attorney who saves his own crumpled soul when he realizes his wealthy client has no such thing. The latter focuses on a bum-luck writer who finds smarts and unimaginable wealth with an experimental drug, his soul is optional.

It’s “Lincoln Lawyer” that’s the winner by far, with Matthew McConaughey ripping into his role as Mickey Haller with a starving wolf hunger not seen since on the actor since “A Time to Kill.” McConaughey is all bleary bloodshot eyes, sweating out the poison of countless bad rom-coms, as Mickey scrambles to get out from under the weight of his sociopathic client (Ryan Phillippe, using his blankness to eerie evil effect). Nothing in this is a shocker, but it’s a helluva character study, with a great arc. William H. Macy graces the screen as a supporting player in Mickey’s life. A cool flick, more of these films please! Oh, Marisa Tomei -- seriously good actress. B+

In “Limitless,” Bradley Cooper is a NYC novelist, if only he could write one word, living in squalor and recently dumped by his successful girlfriend (Abbie Cornish). One magic pill changes all this, and Eddie is Ernest-Hemingway-Albert-Einstein with unlimited libido, godly language skills, and a penthouse apartment. Does it all come crashing down? Yeah. But then what could have been a spectacular, nasty and bloody satire on youthful “GQ” excess in 2000s turns into a slightly satiric celebration of exactly that. “Limitless” should have gone balls to the wall for a razor-sharp “R” rating, not an airplane friendly PG-13. Oh, so limited. Robert De Niro turns up for awhile but doesn't have much fun or range here. What's with that? B-

Highlander (1986)

“Highlander” is a freakish 1980s fantasy action flick turned cult hit. It is absolute cheese, funny in all the wrong places. Queen provides the rock opera music score. To a film with sword fights. The casting alone is mind-boggling. Dig it: French actor Christopher Lambert plays Scotsman Connor McCloud, a 16th century warrior who rises from the dead after battle. Banished as a devil of sorts, he eventually learns of his status as an Immortal from an Egyptian-born Spaniard played by Scotsman Sean Connery, wearing red pajamas and eye liner. That’s not a misprint. Russell Mulcahy directs, and Clancy Brown – all razor-wire voice, and bug eyes – is the Immortal villain. Much of the film takes place in 1980s New York. It’s a sloppy film, with hokey macho dialogue, crap cinematography and strobe light editing. But damn if it isn’t ridiculously fun when the action swings, with sword battles that play like killer video games back when Atari was still cool. Lambert does well. Connery is an acting disaster run over by a fashion train. I think his character inspired Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack. B-

Win-Win (2011)

Paul Giamatti once again proves he is the perfect Regular Guy in “Win-Win,” a comedy-drama about an elderly-care attorney who tries to pocket a few thousand dollars by pretending to play guardian to one of his clients (Burt Young, always “Paulie” to me). See, Mike Flaherty is barely sliding by financially. When the old man’s previously unknown teenage grandson (Alex Shaffer) shows up unannounced, things get complicated. Amy Ryan is Mike’s wife, and Bobby Cannavale plays the best pal, a guy so far in the closet, he’s hiding under the Christmas decorations. Director/co-writer Thomas McCarthy made two good films with “Station Agent” and “The Visitor,” but here he scores a home run. The drama is set on low, the comedy is pure human folly. When the old man’s estranged drug-addicted daughter (Melanie Lynskey) appears, we learn she is just as scarred as anyone else. Many laughs come from Mike’s stint as a wrestling coach, a sport the boy is quite apt at. Giamatti again creates a man who you want to see succeed but love watching fail, thinking, “That could be me.” A-

Red (2010)

“Red” is actually, apparently, “R.E.D.” – as in Retired Extremely Dangerous. Or something like that. It’s a comic book movie without the tights and powers, but with plenty of over-the-top action that makes “The A-Team” seem as tame as “Jane Eyre.” The catch – the raison d’etre -- is the casting. Not Bruce Willis in the lead. We’ve all seen him mow down 106 bad guys and blow-up office skyscrapers. Yawn. But Helen Mirren with a sniper rifle? John Malkovich with a grenade launcher? Morgan Freeman slapping people? Wee! It’s The AARP Team. Plot: Mirren, Freeman and Malkovich help Willis’ newly retired CIA killer avoid being hunted by his former employer (led by Karl Urban of “Star Trek.”) over a massive government whoops. The flick is a goofy blast when the guns are blazing and fireballs booming. It’s a snore when anyone opens their mouth to talk. The director, whoever that is, enjoys throwing up juvenile CGI postcards to help the pace. Dumb idea. Bonus points: Ernest Borgnine plays word games as a vault keeper, and is a blast of fresh air. At age 93. All hail McHale! B-

I am Number Four (2011)

The teenage science fiction flick “I am Number Four” is a mixtape of the “Smallville” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” TV shows, and a dozen films including “Twilight.” Y’know: Super-powered conflicted teen must fight to save his high school and one true love. This normally would grind my patience, but so much of “Four” has an unintended silliness that it quickly veers into guilty fun. For a while. The teen is an alien (Alex Pettyfe) stranded on Earth, on the run from a pack of different extra-terrestrials who resemble Goth “Star Trek” fans with redneck teeth. When the leader speaks, he sounds like Dracula with a bad lisp. It’s a laugh riot. There’s a romantic interest, a nerd, a jock, and a teen girl named 6 (Teresa Palmer) who’s quite the Buffy. Pettyfe is, of course, 4. Director D.J. Caruso (“Eagle Eye”) promises a sequel and a No. 5. All told, this smells of a CW pilot more than anything cinematic. Keep your eye on the beagle, it’s one bad ass son of a … C+

The French Connection (1971)

Gene Hackman is the man. My favorite screen actor. Among his iconic roles – “The Conversation,” “Unforgiven” and even tongue-in-cheek “Superman: The Movie” – is Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle, the real-life narcotics officer in “The French Connection.” Directed by William Friedkin, this New York-set crime drama spools out with an almost documentary – boring, pointless stakeouts and shakedowns, endless foot patrols, gut hunches and paperwork, then an explosive hit – approach that make up the life’s work of many police officers. Here, Doyle and his partner (Roy Scheider) luck, or is stumble, onto a massive heroin deal involving a film actor, Frenchmen and a few NYC locals. I need not explain the rest, you’ve seen this right? A sniper attack that quickly morphs to Hackman tearing madly through New York streets, chasing an “L” train, with tires screeching and a final gun blast is classic filmmaking. That Doyle is a borderline racist, certainly stubborn and quite … erratic … in his police investigation methods, and that Hackman makes him a flawed, fascinating hero in the end is a testament to the man’s acting prowess. He cuts through this film like a damn raging bull, no De Niro reference meant. One of my favorites. A+

Witness (1985)

I was raised in Philadelphia and spent a portion of every summer in or near Lancaster County, so watching Peter Weir’s “Witness” as a child was quite natural. I well knew the oddness of traveling from Philly’s concrete to Lancaster’s farms. That change is the heart of this thriller. Harrison Ford is John Book, a gruff Philly homicide detective suddenly in charge of an Amish boy (Lukas Haas) who witnesses a murder. The killers: Higher-ups in Book’s own department. Ambushed and wounded, Book books it for Amish Country, boy and his mom (Kelly McGillis) in tow. There, Book heals and immerses himself into the culture of a religious sect determined to ignore modern culture. Ford is great here, no sly winks as in “Indiana Jones.” Haas steals the film, all saucer–eyes full of curiosity and innocence that Book and the killers (led by Danny Glover) can’t even fathom. The climax has Philly’s violence coming hard to the country, and it is tense with one of the nastiest film deaths: Death by corn grain. Weir presents the Amish with awe and reverence, but still capable of prejudices and sin. The sexual content -- still controversial in Lancaster -- still pulsates. A