Fracture (2007/I)

Director: Gregory Hoblit

Cast: Anthony Hopkins as Ted Crawford, Ryan Gosling as Willy Beachum, David Strathairn as DA Joe Lobruto, Rosamund Pike as Nikki Gardner, Embeth Davidtz as Jennifer Crawford, Billy Burke as Lt. Robert 'Rob' Nunally, Cliff Curtis as Detective Flores, Fiona Shaw as Judge Robinson, Bob Gunton as Judge Gardner, Josh Stamberg as Norman Foster, Xander Berkeley as Judge Moran, Zoe Kazan as Mona, Judith Scott as Resident, Gary Cervantes as Ciro (as Carlos Cervantes), Petrea Burchard as Dr. Marion Kang

Fracture is the story of Ted Crawford (Hopkins), a rich engineer who
shoots his wife after discovering she is having an affair. When the
police arrive, he confesses and hands in his weapon, and the case is
passed on to hotshot DDA Willy Beachum (Gosling), who sees this, his
final public service trial before he moves onwards and upwards, to be a
slam-dunk case; but alas, thanks to Crawford's mind games, things are
not what they seem and the case undergoes a series of twists and turns
as Crawford and Beachum engage in a tense battle of wits.

The most obviously noticeable thing about Fracture is the how
well-polished it all is. The whole thing looks so...expensive. The cars
are expensive. The phones are expensive...even the cutlery during the
Thanksgiving dinner scene looks expensive. Beachum seems to wear a new
suit in every scene, and even the outdoor location shots look glossy;
South California looks like it has been lacquered up especially for the
camera lens.

It's all very smooth, well edited, cleverly shot, and well-paced, but
without these two actors, this movie would have been nothing more than
a glossy second-rate courtroom "thriller". Hopkins and Gosling take it
to the next level with great lead performances. Hopkins clearly enjoys
playing this sort of manipulative role, controlling events, making sly
remarks, and winking in that very obviously shifty way, and he gets to
drive flashy cars and live in a big house while he does it, which I
imagine only increases the amount of fun he has. Similarly, the
cockiness arrogance of DDA Beachum allows Gosling to strut around, make
wisecracks, and generally be a smug git. While the Hopkins-Gosling
clashes make the movie, they are ably supported by David Straitharn,
Rosamund Pike, and Billy Burke, who all inject a bit more life and
background into the film.

While the ride is comfortable for the most part, Fracture slips a gear
towards the end; the shift from murder mystery to moral crusade feels a
little bumpy, but nonetheless, strong performances and great artistic
direction make Fracture a stylish, clever and enjoyable thriller that's
definitely worth a look.