'Rake' review: Greg Kinnear is an odd lawyer

Why bother to care for a character who can't even begin to care for himself? In his ongoing act of self-immolation, Keegan, with every decision he makes, pushes himself back a yard or two in the game of life. Like any well-drawn narcissist -- and Keegan is nothing if not well-drawn -- he has grandiose visions of a payday that will never come, of a score just beyond reach. But the show title promises exactly what you will get -- a rake, a libertine, a bit of a grifter, and perhaps most of all, a loser.

Why bother? The reason seems compelling enough: Kinnear, who channels facets we've seen before, like David in "Sabrina" or the dad in "Little Miss Sunshine" or the cad in "Someone Like You ...," and maybe one or two we haven't. As an actor, he plays the Lovable Rascal surprisingly well, offering just enough humanity, and enough likability, to merit a second look. The pilot has some sharp lines -- Sam Raimi ("Spider-Man 3") directed, by the way -- which at least indicate this Fox newcomer merits a second one, too.

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