Java Man Reviews "Fracture" (2007, R). Directed by Gregory Hoblit. Written by Daniel Pyne & Glenn Gers. Starring Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling, David Strathairn, Rosamund Pike, Embeth Davidtz, Billy Burke & Cliff Curtis. Running Time: 112 minutes. This review originally appeared in LakewoodBuzz.com.
OVERVIEW:
Ted Crawford (Hopkins) is an engineering genius who owns an aeronautical firm, drives a sleek sports car, lives on a luxurious estate, and shares it all with his much-younger trophy wife, Jennifer (Davidtz). Like the high-tech products he designs, Crawford likes everything to be flawless, without even the slightest hint of a fracture. So when he learns that Jennifer is having an affair, he devises the perfect plan to deal with her and her lover. Like the Rube Goldberg contraptions he keeps in his mansion, the plan is a complex combination of actions and reactions which only the designer can fully comprehend. It begins, for instance, with Crawford's signed confession.
Ambitious assistant district attorney Willy Beachum (Gosling) is assigned to the case which he plans to wrap up before he leaves government work for a lucrative job with a hotshot downtown law firm. He figures the case is a "slam dunk" and doesn't give it his full attention--a "fracture" that Crawford has already anticipated. When the case unravels for the young prosecutor, his entire career is at stake and he must try to find a flaw in Crawford's "perfect crime."
REVIEW: 3 OUT OF 4 JAVA MUGS
The storyline of Fracture is quite compelling and has enough suspense to keep the viewer involved all the way through. It's only after you leave the theater that some of the plot's improbabilities become evident. But the main attraction is quality acting by the two male leads.
Gosling, who was nominated for best actor for last year's Half Nelson, holds his own with one of the screen's all-time greats. Though Hopkins has been accused of phoning in a tepid version of his Hannibal Lecter persona, his character is really more complex than the cannibal, and nearly as scary. David Strathairn, as Willy's boss at the DA's office, also gives a strong performance as the dedicated public servant.
The women's roles are less impressive. Davidtz is adequate for the few scenes she is in, but Pike, as the bitchy barrister who pursues Beachum, does not rise above the mundane material written for her character.
The film's style helps create a sense of menace, especially the outdoor, wide-angle shots that come from nowhere but remind us that things are more distorted than they seem.
The best reason to see this movie is a suspenseful battle between two compelling characters, played by two impressive actors.
OVERVIEW:
Ted Crawford (Hopkins) is an engineering genius who owns an aeronautical firm, drives a sleek sports car, lives on a luxurious estate, and shares it all with his much-younger trophy wife, Jennifer (Davidtz). Like the high-tech products he designs, Crawford likes everything to be flawless, without even the slightest hint of a fracture. So when he learns that Jennifer is having an affair, he devises the perfect plan to deal with her and her lover. Like the Rube Goldberg contraptions he keeps in his mansion, the plan is a complex combination of actions and reactions which only the designer can fully comprehend. It begins, for instance, with Crawford's signed confession.
Ambitious assistant district attorney Willy Beachum (Gosling) is assigned to the case which he plans to wrap up before he leaves government work for a lucrative job with a hotshot downtown law firm. He figures the case is a "slam dunk" and doesn't give it his full attention--a "fracture" that Crawford has already anticipated. When the case unravels for the young prosecutor, his entire career is at stake and he must try to find a flaw in Crawford's "perfect crime."
REVIEW: 3 OUT OF 4 JAVA MUGS
The storyline of Fracture is quite compelling and has enough suspense to keep the viewer involved all the way through. It's only after you leave the theater that some of the plot's improbabilities become evident. But the main attraction is quality acting by the two male leads.
Gosling, who was nominated for best actor for last year's Half Nelson, holds his own with one of the screen's all-time greats. Though Hopkins has been accused of phoning in a tepid version of his Hannibal Lecter persona, his character is really more complex than the cannibal, and nearly as scary. David Strathairn, as Willy's boss at the DA's office, also gives a strong performance as the dedicated public servant.
The women's roles are less impressive. Davidtz is adequate for the few scenes she is in, but Pike, as the bitchy barrister who pursues Beachum, does not rise above the mundane material written for her character.
The film's style helps create a sense of menace, especially the outdoor, wide-angle shots that come from nowhere but remind us that things are more distorted than they seem.
The best reason to see this movie is a suspenseful battle between two compelling characters, played by two impressive actors.