I’m not sure what it is about Sir Anthony Hopkins, but he plays a really great creepy, murdering bastard. More than once, I thought to myself, “Self, never let this guy anywhere near you. He may very well bite your face off.” Sir Anthony, Academy Award winner for The Silence of the Lambs for his thrilling performance of the cannibal Hannibal Lecter and Ryan Gosling, Academy Award nominee for Half Nelson, team up for the film known as Fracture, a psychological thriller.
Willy Beachum (Gosling), a young prosecutor in the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office, is about to take a job with a prominent litigation firm, and as his last case, he picks up the case of Ted Crawford, a man who kills his wife in their home. Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins) is a cold and calculating man, so calculating that he sets a series of events in motion that he hopes will sidetrack the investigation and lead to him getting away with murder. The plan is well thought out, has every element covered, and manages to stay pretty well within the realm of plausibility.
Backed with a fantastic supporting cast, including David Straitahirn, also an Oscar nominee who plays District Attorney Joe Lobruto, Billy Burke, who assumes the role of Detective Rob Nunnaly, the lead detective on the case, and Rosamund Pike, who plays Beachum’s potential new boss and love interest, Fracture is a smart, witty, and occasionally funny thriller.
Rather than start with the good, as I usually do, let us start with the bad. This movie is supposed to be a psychological thriller. I actually laughed on several occasions, which makes this movie considerably funnier than most comedies which are released nowadays. Unfortunately, after I laughed, I didn’t feel like it was the right thing to do; like I had laughed at a car crash or something. After the joke, we jump right back into the action like it had never happened. It’s as if the director didn’t think we could handle the tension, so he throws in a joke to lighten the load.
And then there’s the ending. Being a stickler for the law and understanding the way it works, the ending simply could not have happened the way it does in the film. Sure, it’s exciting, and it wraps itself up pretty well, but it does not work the way in real life.
This is almost completely off the subject, but how is it that in movie-land, the Mac seems to be the only computer in the world? As in many other films, the infamous Apple Macintosh logo is everywhere. Only in Bizarro-world are there that many Macs in the world.
Ok, so now that we have gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about the good. Anthony Hopkins, as always, plays his character brilliantly. You have to believe that he is a complete psycho. Why? Well, as far as I can tell, he is one. The nuances in his face, his posture, his “I am so completely superior to you” attitude, it is all totally believable. Ryan Gosling plays a young, confident, up and coming prosecutor who hates to lose, and he does it very well. His demeanor and posture follow his transition from unbeatable to beaten perfectly. Initially overconfident in his abilities, he soon realizes what he is up against, and quickly becomes entrenched in the case, determined not to let Crawford win.
Writers Daniel Pyne and Glenn Gers, for the most part, have a strong script that is supported by great actors. There are no loose ends, and no unanswered questions as you leave the theater. Director Gregory Hoblit has a strong sense of position and light, but some of the camera angles left me a little nauseous.
At the end of the day, this is a great movie. Strong acting and some really great writing comprise a first-rate thriller. A few unnecessary tension relievers break up the tension a bit, but not enough to make it not worth seeing. If you watched The Silence of the Lambs 387 times like I did, you definitely will not want to miss Fracture.
"Fracture" opens April 20, 2007 and is rated R. Drama. Directed by Gregory Hoblit. Written by Daniel Pyne, Glenn Gers. Starring Anthony Hopkins, David Strathairn, Rosamund Pike, Ryan Gosling.
